Do you have certain foods you really like, even though they may not be the healthiest?  If you don’t want to give them up, there is a method to keep you from over eating them.  Mindfulness is the act of paying close attention to what you are doing.  By applying mindfulness to eating, you slow down the process.  Here’s how it works.  Take your first bite, forkful or spoonful of food.  Smell the food as it enters your mouth.  Savor it in your mouth before you chew and swallow it.  Feel the texture on your tongue.  Chew it slowly and thoroughly before swallowing. 

Before taking another bite, ask yourself if the first one was really delicious.  You could rate it on a scale of one to three.  A one would be good but not very satisfying and not really worth the calories, a two would be good but not great, and a three would be great, delicious, satisfying, or wonderful, and worth every calorie! Then based on your rating, ask yourself if it would feel good to have another bite.  If so, then repeat the same mindfulness approach with the second bite.  Mindfully taste the food, savor it, chew it slowly and thoroughly.  Then rate that bite.  Ask yourself if you would like another bite.  Continue to do this until you reach a point where you don’t desire another bite.  Usually the first, second and maybe the third bites of anything are the best, and after that we just eat what is in front of us, not thinking about if the food is satisfying to us any longer.

Enjoy what you eat, one bite at a time!

Love, Health & Happiness,

Phyllis