| Whether you're a busy mom at home or at home and | | | | are eating, where the food comes from and how it |
| the office, chances are you and your health could | | | | might impact our bodies, minds and spirits, we can do |
| benefit from less stress in your day to day life. Juggling | | | | something different. We can be mindful. We can slow |
| family, work and taking care of yourself can seem like | | | | down and pay attention in ways that will increase our |
| a game that you will never win. | | | | enjoyment, make us more aware of our consumption |
| Maybe you have found yourself saying things like...o I | | | | and our relationship to food. |
| am always doing several things at once but have | | | | Before eating ask yourself:o Am I really hungry? Or |
| noticed that I am making silly mistakes, lack patience | | | | am I eating because I am feeling stressed, bored with |
| with others or just don't really enjoy anything when I | | | | a task at hand, or just needing to take a break?o |
| am doing it.o My day feels like a long to-do list, one that | | | | Where am I? Sitting at your kitchen table away from |
| never get's completely done. Adrenaline has become | | | | the TV and computer can help you stay focused on |
| my main source of fuel.o I am too busy to make | | | | what and how much you are consuming. Or is there a |
| healthy choices. | | | | place to eat outdoors or in nature to create a space |
| If this describes you, don't despair. A little insight and a | | | | for peace, concentration and fresh air during mealtime? |
| new healthy approach will leave you feeling much | | | | Some added food for thought...If you are eating at a |
| more empowered and in control. | | | | restaurant and a waiter brings you your meal, take a |
| A key culprit to a stressful day is multitasking. Yes, I | | | | few minutes to capture the beauty of the display or |
| know we have been brought up to pride ourselves on | | | | presentation....then start eating...slowly.o What am I |
| the fact that we could eat our lunch at the computer | | | | feeling or thinking about while I am eating? |
| while answering emails and talking on the phone. But | | | | Remembering an argument you had with your |
| this in fact, does not always lead to increased | | | | teenage son or a deadline for work may cause you to |
| productivity. Researchers now say that the mind may | | | | eat more. A good exercise to break any automatic |
| not be responding as well to our division of labor. And | | | | reactions to food that you might be having that don't |
| the byproduct a lack of presence or mindfulness is not | | | | support healthy eating is to slowly pick up a bite size |
| good for our health or our work-leaving us feeling | | | | piece of food with your fork and study it, examine its |
| more frazzled and more likely to make silly mistakes, | | | | surface, feels it texture, smell it. Put the food in your |
| unhealthy choices or respond to our tasks at hand in a | | | | mouth and let it linger there for a few seconds. Then |
| less than playful manner. | | | | eat as slowly as possible. |
| But what is mindfulness anyway? And how can it | | | | Being mindful at meal time can lead to improved eating |
| benefit us? Mindfulness in the form of meditation | | | | habits and also fuller experiences in other areas of |
| originated from the Buddhist teachings from more than | | | | your life. How can you streamline your day to allow |
| 2500 years ago. It is a practice of paying attention to | | | | yourself to be more fully present in the task at hand? |
| what is happening from moment to moment in a | | | | Can phone calls and emails be returned during certain |
| nonjudgmental way. Mindfulness is a way to break | | | | hours of the day, freeing you up to be fully present to |
| free from being on autopilot. By paying attention to our | | | | play with the kids or do critical thinking work for a |
| feelings, behaviors, thoughts, environments, and | | | | project at the office? Before you start the project, |
| relationships without judgment or condemnation, we | | | | consider activating your mindfulness by doing one of |
| wake up to the experience of what is going on around | | | | the below simple exercises:o Close your eyes for five |
| us and within us while it is actually happening. The key | | | | secondso Take three deep breathso Notice your |
| being while it is actually happening. This allows us to | | | | breathingo Say to yourself: I am grateful for the |
| make informed decisions about new directions. | | | | opportunity to make a significant contribution to our |
| To experience optimum health, eating nutritious meals | | | | team's performance or I am grateful for the |
| is a given. However, as in the example given earlier | | | | opportunity to pick up my kids from school and hear |
| you may often find yourself eating your lunch at your | | | | about their day. |
| computer while performing other duties like answering | | | | These exercises can help you transition into a more |
| email and returning phone calls. Later that night, you get | | | | peaceful, productive and enjoyable task or experience. |
| out of your work clothes and put on your favorite pair | | | | Incorporating mindfulness into your daily life may take a |
| of jeans, only to uncover that they are very snug. You | | | | little practice. Old habits and patterns don't get broken |
| try to remember what and how much you ate at | | | | overnight. Be patient with yourself and make note of |
| lunch, but can't. | | | | your increased zest for life and all of its many "to dos." |
| Here is how mindfulness around meal time can help. | | | | Soon you will be amazed at how much you do get |
| Instead of rushing through meals, doing two or three | | | | done and how much more you enjoy doing it! |
| things at once, with hardly a thought as to what we | | | | |