Delicious photo by My New Roots
Eat Like You’re On Vacation
I’m serious! I want all of us Luminaries to eat like we’re on vacation more of the time. I don’t mean indulging in certain foods because they’re “special,” a “treat,” or a “splurge,” and we’re in vacation mode. I’m not speaking to WHAT we’re eating, but rather HOW we’re eating it.
Picture yourself on your last relaxing vacation. Your phone was off and buried somewhere in your hotel room. You were captivated by the sights around you–either sitting outside in a beautiful place or inside and delighting in the new surroundings. You were likely deeply engaged in conversation, available for laughter with friends or family, or sitting peacefully alone taking in the atmosphere around you. There was an unrushed quality to your experience. You felt like you could slow down and savor the scene, as well as the food in front of you. Whether or not you actually enjoyed the food mattered less than feeling alive in the moment, tasting fully, and embracing the culinary experience. You left the meal feeling content, satisfied, and energized for the next vacation activity. You were present and open to receive the benefits of the ordinary experience of eating.
How we eat matters just as much, if not more, than what we eat. It impacts our level of contentment, our relationship with our body, our perception of ourselves, and our body’s ability to optimally metabolize our food.
If you’re like me, most lunches involve eating whatever you’ve managed to prepare or buy for yourself, multi-tasking in front of a computer, and hurrying to finish your meal in between work meetings. It doesn’t regularly feel like an alfresco lunch on the Italian riviera!
If we want to create lives that feel rich, full, and meaningful, part of that work is cultivating a mindful approach to even the most ordinary experiences. Every time I eat, I am sending my body a distinct set of messages. It’s like sending a text to your body with each bite. The messages include information from the nutrients in the food itself, but also vital, and sometimes more subtle, psychological messages. I can send my body messages of stress, guilt, anxiety, punishment, fear, and distraction. Or I can send my body messages of openness, receptivity, relaxation, connection, enjoyment, trust, and acceptance. If you were your body, which set of messages would you rather receive? Whether you want to lose weight, feel comfortable in your own skin, or create a more trusting relationship with your body, a good place to begin is with an intentional mindful eating practice.
Mindful eating helps us to pay attention to our food choices and overall eating experience with a sense of curiosity, openness, and flexibility.
A Mindful Eating Practice
One of my favorite mindful eating practices is to intentionally engage all 5 of my senses at some point throughout the meal. Here’s how:
Hearing
Turn off your phone and tune into the real world around you! Listen to the sounds in your environment. Really open yourself up to the person in front of you and hear what they have to say. When you take a mindful bite of food, what sound does it create? What are the unique chewing sounds of corn chips, raw carrots, or a juicy apple?
Sight
Take in the colors, textures and composition of the food on your plate. Notice the faces, the colors, the ordinary beauty of the place and people around you. Before you take a mindful bite, bring a forkful of food up closer so you can examine it. Notice with delight the unique visual intricacies of an open fig, a split pomegranate, or a slice of kiwi!
Smell
Take time to inhale the aroma of the different types of food and components on your plate. Try to smell and identify the seasonings that your food has been paired with before you even take a bite. Smell the surroundings as well, the blooming flowers of Spring or the crisp earthiness of Fall.
Touch
Sit down to eat and take a moment to feel your feet on the ground. Feel the softness of the napkin between your fingers. The breeze or sun on your face. The cool heaviness of your fork cradled in your palm. When you take a mindful bite, take your time chewing to notice the texture changes of your food as you crunch and munch before swallowing.
Taste
And then finally, take a mindful moment to really taste a bite of each component on your plate. Be curious and open. Notice what you enjoy and why. Notice what is similar or different than you expected. Notice if the taste appeals to you or not. If your bite is enjoyable, engage all the rest of your senses for a moment to really slow down and savor the experience.
When we bring this vacation-like quality to our busy, everyday lives, we cultivate an experience of overall satisfaction and ease. We allow the experience of eating to be just as nourishing as the foods we choose to put on our plates. We can take our time to enjoy our whole meal in this mindful manner, or we can simply start the meal with our senses and then keep checking back in along the way. I may be in the ordinary surrounding of work or home, but my experience can be just as soulful, connected, and contented as if I was surrounded by the novelty of a vacation.
I don’t know about you, but that sounds like the kind of life I want to live.
With love,
Cara
