MindLESS to MindFUL – 5 Simple Steps to Getting More From your Food

If you have read or heard any of my story, you know I faced and tackled some pretty serious health issues. Some of the smaller details deserve a little more attention though, and that’s why I have created this simple guide to Mindful Eating. How often do you eat past the point of satisfaction just because there is too much food on your plate? Ever grab a bag of chips or cookies with the idea to just have a few and before you know it, you have discovered the bottom of the bag in horror? I think most of us have been there at least a few times; I know I was before I started my health revolution. While there were many things that sparked my health revolution, I could say that just beginning to eat mindfully was my Boston Tea Party. Early on, when all these wacky natural health ideas were swirling around in my brain, I suddenly just started paying attention to what I was eating! Mind blowing, huh? It wasn’t uncommon for me to stop at fast food joints, and my husband and I actually had an ongoing joke about whose turn it was to pay for Whoppers. (Can you even believe I’m disclosing this!?!?) Oh boy, did we love Whoppers. And fries. And sodas. I think the Burger King people were very happy we only lived a mile away. I’m pretty sure we were on a first name basis with at least a few of the folks working the front.

Maybe it started out of vanity, maybe it was a desire to just lose a few pounds to improve my chances of getting pregnant, maybe I was worried about how much money I was spending on food and just wanted to eat less. Or possibly, I instinctively knew that Whoppers were not helping my health. But it was protein and grains and all those veggies piled on, right? Weren’t those things supposed to be good for me? Maybe, just maybe I was rationalizing that it wasn’t that bad for me… everything in moderation, right? That was my moment. Moderation! DUH! I just need to eat LESS at each meal, and eat fewer whoppers and fewer fries! So we switched from the double Whopper with large fries and large soda to a single junior whopper and small fries and drinks. I started paying attention to how much I was eating, and listened to the signals tell me I was satisfied rather than waiting till my pants button shot across the room, causing a concussion to some poor unsuspecting diner nearby. (Not a true story, but dangerously close!) I started using a smaller plate to trick my brain into thinking I had more food on it, rather than filling a larger dish. My mom, a professional cook as I was growing up, ingrained in me “we eat with our eyes” so I knew the importance of appearance of our food. (You think that would have steered me away from those burgers, but I digress…)

It started so simply, and not really with much intent other than just cutting back on my intake. I quickly found myself about 15 pounds lighter and with more energy, less heartburn and fewer aches. I was starting to feel like myself again! My best friend from college came to visit and said, “WOW, Rach, you’re looking great! What have you been doing?” She’s a fitness rockstar, so I was quite impressed with my progress based on her comment! Way back then, it was just about dropping my “newlywed weight” and reigning ourselves back in. Over the past 12 or so years, I have refined my relationship with food. I find that for MOST people, this is a KEY ingredient to a healthy lifestyle revolution. So many people who yo-yo back and forth with their weight have not done the work on their attitude to adjust how they eat and take control of their food relationships.

How we eat our food has a lot to do with how well our bodies will use that food. If we are under a lot of stress, we are probably functioning in the branch of our nervous system called the Sympathetic nervous system. When we’re operating this way, our bodies can not efficiently digest our food or absorb and utilize the nutrients you are taking in! What that means is, whether you’re eating Whoppers or an organic kale green smoothie drink, you’re unlikely to benefit much. Now, please don’t go and reverse engineer this to rationalize eating Whoppers because you’re stressed, so you really won’t absorb it anyway! Now, there is a way to switch over to the Parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) and reap the rewards of that kale smoothie or whatever delicious food you prefer. With the typical hectic lifestyle, the PNS can be a bit elusive, like a black market driver’s license perhaps? It even has an alias… the “REST AND DIGEST” branch of the nervous system. Now, that sounds like how I want to be operating when I eat! It’s not just for Thanksgiving evening in the recliner folks!

Here’s a quick look at the responsibilities of the 2 main branches of our nervous system:

I’ve seen so many people switching over to healthier foods, starting exercise programs and expecting huge changes in their health but still falling short of their goals. Often times, it is just making a simple shift away from mindless eating to MINDFUL eating that makes all the difference. To get you started, I have created my list of 5 simple steps to more mindful eating, so you can get the most out of your food. Enjoy!

MindLESS to MindFUL in 5 Simple Steps!

1. Ditch the Drive-Thru! Distractions, like eating while driving, watching TV or checking email all shift your body’s attention away from digestion! Sit somewhere quiet and focus on your food and dining partners if sharing a meal. SIT DOWN and SLOW DOWN to ramp up your Rest and Digest ability.
2. Take a few deep breaths before you eat. Just 3-4 deep breath cycles lowers your physiological stress response and shifts you into the Rest and Digest phase.
3. Eat Slowly, Chew Fully. Really taste your food. Enjoy it. Don’t rush through the meal just to get it done and move on to the next task. Take a moment to reflect!
4. Give Gratitude. Whether you are the kill it and grill it type, or a staunch fruititarian, other living things contributed (a plant or animal gave its life, or a tree grew an apple) to this meal for you! It’s quite possible another person prepared the food for you. You have the means to provide food for yourself. You’re enjoying a lovely picnic in a beautiful park. Whatever you focus on, be aware and grateful for a moment before you start eating. Enjoy the feeling for the entire meal if you want to challenge yourself.
5. Pay attention to how you’re feeling; STOP eating when you feel satisfied, not full! It takes just the sight or thought of food for the body to begin preparing for digestion and the pancreas even readies insulin for the incoming sugar load. Satiety signals, which tell us when to stop eating take a bit longer to make their point! Learn to listen to your body. When you eat slowly, you will notice you have had enough much sooner than mindlessly stuff food in!

And there you have it, a few simple steps you can add to your personal health revolution! If you want more, you can sign up for my Mindful Eating the Wildly Grounded Way course right here! You’ll get 3 weeks worth of goodies from me, coaching you through these steps and helping you apply it to your life. What can you expect by the end of the course?

Improved digestion             Releasing a few pounds               More Energy

Better relationship with food          Better Sleep Quality          Whoppers (just kidding!)

You’ll have to put in some effort, but the results will be worth it. For a limited time, it’s completely free, so you have nothing to lose but those nagging pounds and maybe a few Whoppers. (okay, my apologies to BK. No more Whopper talk.) I’m a recovering perfectionist, so I want to get some feedback on this course before there’s any money involved! I will appreciate any input you have to help me make it even better!

 Please tell me below which tip is your favorite to help you move toward more mindful eating, and when you plan to implement it! Bonus points if you tell me how many times that W word is in this post!

Sign up for Mindful Eating the Wildly Grounded Way