E03 - Slowing Down: The Art of Mindful Eating

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Welcome to the Mindful Balance Mini Podcast.

If you are a woman over 40,

ready to break free from fad diets

and discover the power of balance and confidence

in your life, then this podcast is for you

and I am so happy that you are here.

I'm your host, I'm Rachel, a nutrition and mindset coach

and I'm going to break down everything you need to know

into bite-sized pieces of sustainable and realistic tips.

I wanna invite you to join me

as we explore practical strategies to stop overeating,

nourish your body, and use the potential

of your amazing brain to achieve your goals.

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Hey, welcome back to another episode

of the Mindful Balance podcast.

So something happened to me the other day

and that is what gave me the idea

of sharing this topic with you today.

There I was, I was just having one of those days,

you know, the type that every little thing seemed to go wrong.

I not only spilled my morning coffee,

in fact, the entire mug broke,

and I started the day with a giant mess to clean,

especially since, I don't know if you know,

I have two cats and I had to make sure

that there were just no pieces of glass

anywhere in the kitchen.

I also had two doctor appointments that morning, back to back, and I just started feeling the

stress building up.

When I finally got home from running all the errands, it was hot, so I walked into the

house, I kicked off my shoes, and I felt a wave of exhaustion just wash over me.

I made my way to the kitchen, I opened the fridge, and you know what I saw, because it's

either one or the other. For me, it was a delicious homemade brownie that I made

just a few days earlier. We went to visit my son at camp and we had a few brownies

left and they were right there in my refrigerator looking at me. Now, I talk a

lot about mindful eating and I really try to practice what I preach but at

that moment all I wanted was to get that brownie in my mouth. I just did not care

about anything else. And the stress of the day just had me needing that comfort

that I naturally associated with that rich creamy chocolate treat. So this is

what happened. I took two pieces of brownies and I sat down with it and I

I took one bite and it was good.

And before I knew it, the two pieces were gone.

And you know what?

I didn't feel great about it.

I knew I had let my emotions dictate my eating, something that I've been trying to improve

now for years and years.

But then I also realized something.

This was really an opportunity, a chance to practice being mindful and understand my triggers.

So this is what I did.

I put a timer for 10 minutes and I decided that I am just going to sit with it.

I acknowledged my feelings and that buildup of stress and really just the exhaustion.

I decided at that moment that I am just going to make myself a cup of iced coffee.

I'm going to sit on the couch and I'm just going to take a few minutes just to relax,

just to be until the 10 minutes timer was going off.

And I'm telling you this story because the journey of mindful eating is not about getting it right

or being perfect. It's about being aware and really learn to understand your body and your

emotions and finding that balance that no matter how many times you might lose it along the way,

we're really all humans and we just need to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

There's always going to be days of stress, sadness, or just straight out boredom.

We may be frustrated with other people in our life, we may be just frustrated with ourselves,

we may not feel good, and every time we feel that way, it is just an opportunity to practice

behaving and taking different actions.

So why should we pay more attention to our eating habits and our behavior patterns?

Why is it that mindful eating is even important?

Imagine that you are at a concert.

The lights are dimmed, the crowd is waving, and the band comes on stage.

I personally never really played an instrument other than maybe that one year that I attempted

to learn how to play guitar.

It didn't work, but I know that each musician has a specific role.

Each instrument contributes to the overall harmony of the music.

So now imagine if the drummer in that concert just started playing without coordinating

with the rest of the band.

Or if the lady playing the piano just decided to ignore the rhythm of the bass player, what

would you get? An annoyed audience, for sure. Well, our eating habits can be seen in the same light.

When we eat mindlessly, it's like we are letting each "musician" do their own thing without any

synchronization. We're not listening to the music our body is trying to create. We consume food

without paying attention to our body's needs and without consideration of the rhythm of our hunger

and fullness cues. On the other hand, mindful eating is like being the conductor of this

orchestra. Every bite that we take, every choice we make, and I'm not trying to make this sound

like a song. It's about creating a beautiful symphony of health and well-being and satisfaction.

So how do we go from mindless to mindful eating? What are some simple things that you can do to

start changing your eating habits as soon as today? Well, I've got three tips for you. These are tips

for things that you can start doing right now. And you can use that to bring more mindfulness

to your meals. Let's get into it. So tip number one is slowing down. Now I know life is busy

and sometimes it feels like we just don't have time to sit down and take our sweet time eating.

But eating isn't just about getting food into our bodies.

So next time, I want to offer you this strategy.

Next time you eat, I want you to take a bite, put your fork down, and then really taste your food.

I know it sounds very, almost too simplistic, but I want you to chew it.

Chew it slowly, and then take another bite.

And you might be surprised how much more you enjoy your food when you eat this way,

since it really gives your body the time to acknowledge the flavors and the consistency

and the temperature and the colors and everything that's involved in the sensation of eating.

Tip number two. Let's bring some gratitude to your meals.

And I know again that this might sound a bit out there, but before you dismiss it, just give me a second here.

Before you start eating, I want you to take a moment and think about your food.

Think about all the work that went into bringing that food to your plate.

Maybe you cooked it yourself. Maybe someone else did.

Maybe it came from a local farm or maybe traveled from another state or another country.

There are so many people that are involved in getting our food to us and taking even 30 seconds

to acknowledge that can really change your relationship with what you eat.

It can help us see food as something to be enjoyed and appreciated and not just something

to be feared of or feel guilty about. That takes me to tip number three. Start tuning into your

body's signals. And I am saying start because this is again a long journey of learning. One of the

keys to mindful eating is learning to listen to our bodies. Our bodies are smarter than we give

them credit for. We were born with all the knowledge to know when and how much we need.

Your body knows when you're hungry and when you're full, when you need energy and when you need other

nutrients, but often we're just not very good at listening. So for example, we eat

because it's mealtime or because there is food in front of us or maybe someone

brought food to work and offered us a donut. Sometimes we eat because we're

bored or stressed, but what if, what if you ate only when you were hungry and

and stop when you are full?

What if you gave your body what it needs when they need it?

So I am going to leave you with these three tips

and hopefully some food for thought.

I hope that it will encourage you and inspire you

and maybe even motivate you to just pay attention

a little closer to what is happening.

What does your body need?

When does your body have enough?

And just experiment with that and see how it feels.

All right, my friends, that's all for today's episode.

Remember, moving from mindless to mindful eating

isn't like turning a light switch on and off.

I would say that it is a lot more like a volume dial

that you can dial up and down.

And it's okay to take it one step at a time.

It's okay to stumble and make mistakes

because the important thing is that you are trying,

that you are taking steps to take care of yourself

and your body.

I am so excited to continue this journey with you.

So stay tuned for the next episode

where we will be talking more about nutrition

and how to make sense of all the different diets out there.

Until then, keep moving forward,

keep seeking the mindful balance.

I am Rachel, signing off.

Take care, lots of love, bye.

Thank you for tuning in

to the Mindful Balance podcast today.

I hope you enjoyed our conversation

and find inspiration to find your unique balance

and confidence.

Remember that the journey continues on Instagram.

You can find me @rachelemmanutrition.

That is one word where I share daily nuggets of wisdom

to help you reach your goals with ease.

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Your feedback fuels our mission to empower more women

on their mindful balance journey.

Until next time, take care and stay mindful.

Bye.

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The Mindful Balance is brought to you by

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The information in this podcast does not substitute

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and is intended for educational purposes only.

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