Before we even
dive into the mindful aspect of eating lets back up our lesson with some
science of eating. If you are a fast eater you are 42% more likely to be
overweight, as compared to a slow eater. When you eat quickly you do not give
your body enough time to signal your brain that you are full. Slower eating
helps your brain work together with your body to run at its best.
Thanksgiving is coming
up and many of us are preparing to eat a lot of food. How many of us with sit
down to a meal and mindfully enjoy our food? Most of us will eat without
putting much or any thought into what we have heaped on our plates. In fact,
some of us may eat the main course in a rush to get to dessert.
What if we took
some time this week to work on mindful eating? Take time to look at the food.
Really look at the colors, the preparation, the amount. Take time to smell the
food. Smell how all the different foods weave together with each other. Take
time to watch as we scoop the food onto our plates. Do we place the food with
care in specific spots, or does it all land wherever? As we sit down, do we
feel the food with our hands, pick it up with forks or spoons and then place a bit in our mouths and note the texture?
Do we chew slowly and note the different and sometimes complex flavors of our
foods? Or do we chew as quickly as we can just to get on to the next bite?
With a short week
at school some of your classes may be engaging in a small thanksgiving
experience with your students. Before enjoying food with your students take
some time to talk with them about how to mindfully enjoy the meal. Savor the
experience and flavors. Enjoy the environment and company. Engage in the
experience.
Below is a link to
another GoZen YouTube video. It is a cute clip that is less than 4 minutes. It
walks you through mindfully eating chocolate. What could be better than that?
If you would like
to some help mindfully eating with your class, let me know. I would love to
come do a mindful eating lesson.
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