The question is not what we eat but how we eat and how our eating habits impact the way we live. Being aware of this simple fact is the starting point for change, leading to a more fulfilled life. This article asks questions but to find the answers we must look within ourselves.
There is a saying that I have found to be very true: “The way we do one thing is the way we do everything”. In whatever situation I find myself, I repeat the same patterns of behaviour over and over again. There’s always stuff we’re unhappy with, and we think if only we could change them we would live better, but first we have to address our habits, starting with one habit. Only one at a time.
First, I’d like to suggest that you read this article slowly. Yes, slowly. It will take less than five minutes, so don’t rush and take your time. Savour every word and idea. Do they invite fresh thoughts and new feelings? Do they bring insight into your own innate wisdom, the things deep down you already know?
Then, reflect on your eating habits: the food you eat, your mealtimes, the people with you. Pause for ten seconds. What comes to mind? What thoughts are emerging? Can you visualise yourself eating?
I have led several micro sessions on mindful eating and at the end, people have often said: “I always rush when I eat”, “I don’t even sit down when eating, that’s a habit I have”, “Most of the time, I don’t taste what I’m eating”, “I start a packet of crisps and I’m already half way through without realising it”, “I tend to eat too much”. These comments are usually accompanied by guilty embarrassed smiles.
Comfort food is another familiar eating habit: the food we eat because we are stressed or want to deaden our anger, sadness, feelings of exclusion, loneliness or inadequacy. We know that food can be a refuge, a safe haven where our bellies are warm and full but later, we are plagued by regret and self-doubt. Connecting with our bodies helps us to appreciate ourselves and we can do this by appreciating the food we eat, by savouring each mouthful in the same way we savour a laugh and a good time with friends and family.
To continue the experiment, I’d like to suggest that for your next meal you pause for a few seconds and focus on your plate, looking at what is on it with curiosity, gratitude and wonder. Where does this food come from? In which country has it been produced? By whom? How has it arrived on your plate?
How is it? Is it colourful? Does it look appetising? Can you smell it? Is the saliva rising up in your mouth as you anticipate eating it?
Next, pick up your knife and fork and dig into your plate. Give full attention to the food in your mouth, feeling the tongue moving it around and your teeth crushing it. Is it hot or cold? Hard or soft? Does it melt quickly? Is it spicy, sweet, salty? What does it taste like?
Eat slowly while connecting with the food and its flavours, appreciating the farmer’s hard work, the sunshine that each vegetable or fruit has absorbed, the rain that made it grow, perhaps the love of the person who prepared it for you. Enjoy this first mouthful, then continue eating with as much awareness, appreciation and pleasure as you can manage.
Eating consciously changes our relationship to food. It can even help us lose weight as it’s very likely that we will reduce our food intake by eating mindfully. For example, our brain takes 20 minutes to register that our stomach is full.
These are my suggestions for another way of living that is slower, more aware and more enjoyable. Obviously, it isn’t possible to do it all the time, especially at work where we must be quick and perform, but if we can find the right opportunity and practise the intention, we can work wonders.
The Dalai Lama once said, “I don’t understand people in developed countries. They rush all the time. But what are these people rushing towards? In the end, it’s the same for everyone: we will all die. So, let’s take our time!”
Patricia Merlin is a University lecturer and a mindfulness practitioner in the tradition of Vietnamese peace activist, poet and Zen master Thich Nhat Han. Grateful for the numerous benefits the practice has brought to her life, she endeavours to share her knowledge by facilitating regular mindfulness sessions and organising retreats.