Are you ready for another tenet of Mindful Eating for Emotional Wellness Month?

Today’s lesson is on:
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​Awareness
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​We’ve made space for the eating experience by putting away our food-based hang-ups through nonjudgment and slowing down the process with patience. Now we have the time and curiosity to focus on what we’re consuming. And there are so many ways for us to practice awareness when it comes to food!

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​Grab a grape or a pretzel or a small morsel of cheesecake. Whatever you choose, view this bit of food through the eyes of a child who is taking in much of the world for the first time. Take the time to study the strange delicacy before you. What shape is it? What does it smell like? Observe the texture and the weight of it. Now, place this bit of food on your tongue. Don’t chew or swallow just yet. Let your palette be your eyes. Focus on the consistency and note your instinctual urges for a moment. Now, bite down. What do you notice? Begin to chew, slowly, until that bit of food is liquefied entirely. Take in the flavor of each bite. After you swallow, note any hints of aftertaste and how the flavor lingers on your tongue. 
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​Congratulations. You’ve just practiced awareness! 
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​Tuning in is also a HUGE part of mindful eating. 

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​Are you reaching for that bag of chips because you’re hungry? Or is it because you’re bored, anxious, sad, or stressed? Eating mindfully is eating with intention. If your desire isn’t hunger, finding a better response to the emotion at hand is a great way to be aware.
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Now that you’re sharing a plate with patience, eat intuitively! Take a pause during meals and ask yourself, “Am I still hungry?” Doing this regularly significantly prevents overeating.
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​Leave us a comment on how YOU intend to practice food-based awareness!