Hey Muses!
I eat too fast. Sorry to myself.
When I was a youngster, I ate slow…like painfully slow… slow enough that everyone else had finished their meals and the kitchen was cleaned before I was done. Currently, I scarf down my food…I eat my food like it will evaporate off my plate the longer air touches it. Sometimes, I don't even sit down- I cook. Dip up a plate. Stand at the island doing my food dance and eat.
It's really bad and it's gotten worse now that I'm a mom. It feels like I don't have time to enjoy food because of all the things that need my attention: Harmony, chores, my work, my business, Darcy, and even more Harmony. Eating, as much as I enjoy it, becomes one more thing on my to-do list and one that I don't have focus on, but one that needs to happen - especially for breastmilk production.
What I'm doing isn't healthy. It's not good for my overall health, my digestive system, and my mental health. I hate eating fast! If you haven't guessed, this intro is about mindful eating and my quest to do better. Mindful eating is the act of being fully attentive to the process of eating. It's noticing:
- what the food looks like and tastes like
- if you have any thoughts or feelings around the food
- if you're full or need more food
Being mindful means slowing down, chewing more, remembering that food doesn't just come to you, it's a process from farm to fork, from seed to spoon. There are different ways to be mindful, some more involved than others, but the good thing is that you do what works for you.
I need to tell myself that nourishing my body is the most important thing I can be doing in that moment. Harmony is more than fine. The chores and work can wait. Put the phone down. Close the laptop. And just be here with the meal and Jordan, slow dow.
I write this and it sounds great, but I'm having difficulty. I have to break it down in baby steps. First, take a few deep breaths before each meal. Then, chew more. Easy right? We'll see.
What about you? Do you need to incorporate this practice or this isn't your struggle? Let's chat! 🍴
xo
-JM
PS: Intentional Eating and Mindful Eating are similar, but not the same.
