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Mindful Eating

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Eating Mindfully, The art of eating slow enough to enjoy your food. Eating food without masking it to hide the real taste.

Everyone has reasons for not eating mindfully, though. Reasons like:

The day is flying by. You’re running from meeting to meeting and need to refuel. Perhaps you choose your meal poorly -- and regret it later. But have you ever scarfed down a perfectly delicious meal without appreciating it? Mindful eating -- chewing slowly and savoring the smell, taste, and sensation of food -- helps us achieve well-being and "brings to the surface the rich abundance of life available to us in every moment," writes Lilian Cheung, director of health promotion and communication at the Harvard School of Public Health and coauthor (with Thich Nhat Hanh) of Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life.

Everyone has reasons for not eating mindfully, though. Reasons like:

But... I only have 15 minutes to eat. "When we eat mindfully and with awareness, we choose foods that we not only like, but those that are also good for our health and wellbeing," says Cheung. In other words, savoring your food is well worth the few extra minutes -- and you can do it no matter how much time you have.

But... I’m starving! Hunger pangs can be relentless. For that reason, Cheung advises that people center themselves with a few deep breaths before eating. "Eat slowly," she says, "so that you really enjoy it and get the food connection." (Eating slowly will help you eat less, too: It takes 20 minutes for your brain to realize you're full.)

But... when I'm craving something, I can't control myself. Ah, the mindless potato-chip binge... "We're beginning to learn more from neuroscience that eating the 'wrong' foods -- i.e., foods that are high in sugars and fats -- may overpower the pleasure centers in the brain, causing us to eat more and more even though we're full," says Cheung. Mindful eating helps us consider the impact of our food choices before we make them.

But... I can't unplug when I eat, because of work. "Mindful eating encourages us to eat with other people, instead of eating alone with the TV and our smartphones," says Cheung. Doing that allows us to be fully present with one another and gives us a better sense of one another’s state of being. When it comes to colleagues, a shared meal may take us further than a fast email reply.

But... when I'm craving something, I can't control myself. Ah, the mindless potato-chip binge... "We're beginning to learn more from neuroscience that eating the 'wrong' foods -- i.e., foods that are high in sugars and fats -- may overpower the pleasure centers in the brain, causing us to eat more and more even though we're full," says Cheung. Mindful eating helps us consider the impact of our food choices before we make them.

But... I can't unplug when I eat, because of work. "Mindful eating encourages us to eat with other people, instead of eating alone with the TV or our smartphones," says Cheung. Doing that allows us to be fully present with one another and gives us a better sense of one another’s state of being. When it comes to colleagues, a shared meal may take us further than a fast email reply.

Follow me on X, the former Twitter, @ray0369 to get a link to my latest posts.

If you want to lose your body fat look for my e-books at the websites listed below. You’ll get information on Healthy eating, exercise, and diet. Instead of spending hours on the internet reading dozens of posts, you can save time by picking up one of my e-books. There are two e-books. “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight?” is available at all the online bookstores selling for $3.99. Go to any of the websites below and search the title to find my e-book. This book gives you all you need to lose weight without spending money on gym memberships, diet plans, or meal plans. 

Look for my first book at Amazon.com, bn.com, iBooks, Kobo.com, Scribd.com, or Gardner Books in the U.K.

My new e-book is available on Smashwords.com and other online bookstores. Just type “getting to a Healthy Weight” in the search box at the top of the home page. 

Look for my podcast by searching “How Bad Do You Want To Lose Weight” on the podcast app that you use. You’ll see a piece of my book cover.




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