Mindful eating, or nourishment in a state of awareness

In the last article I talked about mindfulness and how being more aware of the emotions we experience, enjoying the moments we spend with ourselves or our loved ones promotes stress control. The practice of mindfulness can be applied to many areas of life, one of them being mealtime. How many times have we found ourselves eating in a compulsive manner, without realizing what we were doing? For example, while we were doing something else (raise your hand if you have never gulped while watching a movie on the couch!), or in non-restful situations. Applying mindfulness to mealtime is called MINDFUL EATING, or nourishment in a state of awareness, and it can definitely support us and come to our rescue.

Mindful Eating means intentionally paying attention as we eat, remaining fully present to all that is happening within us (in our body, mind and heart) and outside us (our surroundings). By practicing Mindful Eating, we can learn to witness the bodily sensations, emotions and thoughts that surface within us toward food and the act of eating.
Mindful Eating is an ALL-ENCOMPASSING experience: the heart, body and mind assist us in choosing, eating and enjoying food. In this way we can rediscover the natural pleasure of eating, replacing self-criticism with self-perception and self-nurturing.

Mindful Eating is helpful for everyone, and everyone can try to be more aware of their bodies and the food they consume. In particular, it is a useful practice for all people who suffer from eating, who suffer because of their bodies, who have tried numerous diets but now want to learn to listen more deeply to themselves. It is an invitation to cultivate mindfulness and kindness toward oneself day by day. On the contrary, it is not a technique or even a prescription. Everyone has their own way of being present in the moments they experience, listening to their own body and emotions that are unique and cannot be compared to that of anyone else. However, it is a practice that requires a great deal of commitment and a strong discipline. So it is necessary to approach it with (again!) awareness and willpower because in order to be effective, its practice requires perseverance and dedication.

There are many types of hunger; the one that can be most supported by Mindful Eating is the hunger of the heart. Indeed, food conveys emotions, evokes moods and memories. This is precisely why food is sometimes used to suppress or enhance emotions. Thanks to Mindful Eating we can understand why we eat the way we do: it is required that each of us look deep inside ourselves to understand what we actually need.
The hunger of the heart is insidious because no food can ever truly satiate it: to satisfy it we must learn how to nourish our hearts every day (with kindness, affection, serenity toward ourselves).
When we eat consciously, we can bring out a feeling of intimacy and connection with ourselves: we will then be able to face the mealtime without the weight of any judgments, thus being able to satiate our body and our heart, whatever food we are eating.
Environmental factors (light, music, temperature) can also influence our relationship with food. Recent research has shown that listening to pleasant and relaxing music during meals influences the length of mealtime, helping us devote more of our time to it. In fact, it takes at least 20 minutes before we feel full. Listening to music during meals then helps us devote more time to it by counteracting the possibility that the nervous hunger sets in.

On Instagram you can find my daily diary in photos, in this Facebook album, on the other hand, you can find The Dishes of My Patients.