This week it’s all about mindful eating here at HFH HQ. You guys ask a lot of questions about mindful eating, like what exactly is it, how do you do it, what are the benefits – so I thought I’d break it down for ya. I also did a video on this topic that you can check out here:
 

 
So basically, mindful eating is the complete opposite of binge eating. I want to touch on some tools and tips to help you fully embody mindful eating.
 
Understand why you eat.
 
First and foremost, it’s important to have an intention behind why you’re eating. Be it health, hunger, to enhance the moment, to sabotage yourself, to numb feelings, to berate yourself, etc. You need to ask yourself, “Why am I putting this food in my mouth right now?” Are you bored? Depressed? Sad? Anxious? Stressed out? Or just hungry?
 
I want you to get really clear about something that goes along with this – there are no “good” or “bad” foods. There is just food that is consumed for a healthy reason, and food that isn’t consumed for a healthy reason. You can have wine to enhance dinner with your friends, but if your intention behind that wine is to feel better because you’re stressed, that is a completely different thing.
 

 
Remember to slow down.
 
So many of us are such quick eaters, but mindful eating is all about slowing down and really being present in the moment of consumption. It can be really beautiful to be intentional with your eating and slow down to enjoy it. Allow yourself to have a ritual around consumption/nourishing your body. Be grateful that you have food to eat. Appreciate every single bite. When you add gratitude to eating, it changes the narrative of the experience. If you normally eat to numb and do so quickly, just taking time to slow down can make all the difference in the world.
 
Don’t be distracted.
 
Eliminate distractions when you eat. Remember, bring mindfulness (presence and awareness) into the experience. Allow eating to be meditative. Connect with your food. Connect with your body. You need to eat anyway, so evaluate the quality and energy that you are bringing to the activity. Can you change your energetics around it? Can you make the experience better? Be there with the food, and I guarantee it will be a massive game changer for you.
 
Here’s my ninja strategy for mindful eating: Ask yourself, “How do I want to feel after I eat this?”
 

 
Sometimes this can literally stop you in your tracks and completely change your food choices. You know how you’ll feel after eating junk vs. after eating something healthy. So what is the feeling that you want to embody? That will be your filter for whether or not you should eat something. When you can connect to the feeling that results from consumption, mindful eating will become so much easier.
 
Eventually, eating altogether will be an experience that you look forward to and that raises your vibration, instead of an experience that just stresses you out.  So for now, bring mindfulness to your meals, slow down, and extract the moments that truly matter and raise your vibration.