Unless you’re a total stranger to mindful eating, no doubt you’ll know that engaging your senses is a super important part of the process. How do you actually bring your senses into play if you’re not used to doing it? Let’s talk briefly about how to get your senses fully involved in mindful eating: Sight: The colors of your food are an obvious one. Notice how vibrant the colors of your fruits and veggies are, for example. You can engage in this sense even during food prep and mindful cooking. Smell: What’s the overall smell of your meal and how does it make you feel? How does the food smell as it gets nearer to your mouth? Is it super appetizing? Taste: How does the taste of that first mouthful make you feel? Is it every bit as deli-cious as you expected? Or is it actually a bit disappointing once you take the time to savor it? Does the taste change as you chew more? Touch: What does the food feel like in your mouth? What textures can you experi-ence as you chew? You can take one up a notch for foods that are eaten by hand and detail the texture as you hold them too. Sound: What sounds can you hear as you eat? Maybe a satisfying crunch if you’re eating something with that type of texture. Asking yourself these types of questions can bring all of your senses into play for mindful eating.

Does Location Matter when practicing Mindful Eating?

Where do you tend to do most of your eating? This can have a big bearing on how likely you are to succeed with mindful eating. If you’re used to snacking in front of the television or eating lunch at your desk, it may be time to change your environment. More specifically, it can be super helpful from a mindful eating perspective to des-ignate the kitchen or living room as your go -to eating place at home and take your lunch away from your desk at work. This means you’re less likely to eat mindlessly, especially if you can go the extra mile in creating a mindful eating experience with no distractions. I don’t personally have many rules in with my eating habits , but when it comes to breakfast, lunch and dinner, my only non negotiable rule is to have everyone sit-ting down at the table and phones must be away. I no longer have a landline but back in the day when we had one I did not answer if it rang once we were seated. I find this is a very special moment and most days we can only really manage to have one meal together, and I like to have that special time to connect with my family and loved ones. Fun fact – I once bought a noisy little bell to get everyone to the table- trust me no one will say -“ “sorry mom I count hear you”. You can get yours at https://www.toyboxtech.com On that note, sitting at the table can be super important for families as studies have shown that there tends to be less overeating taking place when everyone sits down together to eat and remains at the table until the meal is over. Wherever you choose to practice mindful eating, it can be hugely beneficial to pick just one place to do it. Try eating all of your meals and snacks in this designated place to build an association in your mind. And as an added bonus, this will help to break the current association you may have with food and areas of your home (the couch, for example, or the living room in general). Depending on where you’re currently doing a lot of your not so mindful eating, a change of scene may help you to succeed with being more mindful. The information contained in this document is being provided to you for educational, informational and self-empowerment purposes only. This content is not intended to prevent, diagnose, treat or cure any disease or medical conditions. Always follow your local, state and federal laws related to scope of practice. This content is not intended to replace medical advice or guidance from a licensed professional. Please consult your doctor or licensed practitioner if you have any questions regarding the suggestions made in this content, are taking any medications or have any pre- existing conditions. Use this information at your own risk.