Accepting, Appreciating, and Achieving Mindful Eating

The renowned Buddhist monk and civil rights leader, Thich Nhat Hanh, said, “With mindfulness, you can establish yourself in the present in order to touch the wonders of life that are available in that moment.” This truth also applies to mindful eating. We must be present when we are eating and aware of what we are eating. That way, we can ensure that our eating habits are leading to the long and fulfilling lives we desire.

What Exactly Is Mindful Eating?

What exactly is mindful eating? According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), “Mindful eating (i.e., paying attention to our food, on purpose, moment by moment, without judgment) is an approach to food that focuses on individuals’ sensual awareness of the food and their experience of the food. It has little to do with calories, carbohydrates, fat, or protein. The purpose of mindful eating is not to lose weight, although it is highly likely that those who adopt this style of eating will lose weight.” Also, the ADA notes that “The intention is to help individuals savor the moment and the food and encourage their full presence for the eating experience.”

Thich Nhat Hanh once advised, “If we chew every morsel of our food, in that way we become grateful, and when you are grateful, you are happy.” However, mindful eating is more than simply being present and grateful. It is also about being mindful of the food choices we make.

Many of us get stuck in the cycle of eating foods that are heavily processed, high in saturated fat, and full of processed sugar. Some might refer to these foods as “chemical cuisine.” If we eat this type of food, we should not judge ourselves. Much of the reason we eat this way is because of how food is marketed to us. However, although we must not judge ourselves, we still must make an effort to change. This is the essence of mindful eating.

Noticing the Nutrients in Food

Mindful eating is also about good nutrition. This means we ensure we are getting nutrients and avoiding anti-nutrients. According to the Journal for Nurse Practitioners, “Nutrients are plant and animal sources providing macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, fat), micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, antioxidants, probiotics), and fiber… Anti-Nutrients are food products that have no biological necessity. Though edible, these are not considered ‘food’: high fructose corn sweeteners, sugars, artificial sweeteners, highly processed and hydrogenated fats, refined flour products, preservatives, and additives.” Once we accept that we must focus on nutrients over anti-nutrients, then we can accept a life of mindful eating.

Accepting Mindful Eating

Many of us don’t want to accept that our eating habits are actually harming us. This can be partly because many of the harmful foods we eat can be addictive. These are foods and drinks that are high in fat, sugar, and caffeine content. Also, these foods can lead to chronic, often avoidable diseases like diabetes and heart disease. Unfortunately, these are deadly diseases.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States.” The CDC also states that “One person dies every 33 seconds in the United States from cardiovascular disease.”

Also, the CDC reports that “about 695,000 people in the United States died from heart disease in 2021 – that’s one in every five deaths.” These are devastating statistics. However, we must not be discouraged by them. Instead, we must be inspired to change these statistics through mindful eating.

Appreciating Mindful Eating

The truth is that changing our eating habits isn’t easy. However, appreciating mindful eating becomes much more possible when we start to see the results of our new food choices. For example, we may feel more energy after making changes to our diet because we are receiving more nutrients.

Appreciating mindful eating also becomes more possible when we are not bogged down by the daily food choices we must make. This is where we here at LifeSpring Home Nutrition can help make mindful eating much more accessible and achievable.

Here at LifeSpring Home Nutrition, we focus on helping our clients make mindful choices when it comes to the food they eat. We also ensure those mindful decisions include a focus on nutrition as well as joy and satiation. Because we ensure that all portions are accurate to each client’s individual needs, our clients can focus on being present while they eat rather than what or how much they ought to eat.

Supporting Mindful Eating at LifeSpring Home Nutrition

Thich Nhat Hanh also said, “Mindfulness helps you go home to the present. And every time you go there and recognize a condition of happiness that you have, happiness comes.” Here at LifeSpring Home Nutrition, we consider our clients’ happiness to be our top priority.

Life is too short not to love what we eat. That is why it is our mindful mission to put love into every meal we deliver, every time.

Mindful eating is about enjoying food and savoring the present moment. The meals at LifeSpring Home Nutrition create both mental and physical satiety, which are essential ingredients in mindful eating. However, mindful eating takes time and effort. Sometimes it’s hard to achieve. Many strategies can help people achieve this state of mindfulness during mealtimes. If you feel like you or someone you love can benefit from healthy, medically tailored meals (MTM) with convenient home delivery at affordable prices, we can help. For more information about mindful eating for health, balancing both emotional and physical aspects of eating, and the abundance of healthy options provided by LifeSpring Home Nutrition, please call (800) 798-5767.