There is a quote by Benjamin Franklin, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” I am not here to tell you I have all of the answers or that it’s going to be perfect every single day. But in my experience, eating mindfully and planning meals not only helps save money and time, but also deepens your connection to food and to those you share your life with. Think of the benefit of being a healthy role model for your family and friends, being able to spend more time with them and truly enjoying mealtime together.

Mindfulness is the act of savoring the present moment while engaging all 5 senses.

How many of us are guilty of polishing off a bag of potato chips or sleeve of Oreos in the blink of an eye when watching TV, on the phone or computer? Does your morning start with the alarm blaring, scrambling to get the kids ready for the day, jumping in the shower, a quick brush of the teeth, chugging a cup of coffee and swallowing a bagel all within the span of an hour before heading to work? For many, the flavor of coffee is missed entirely as the beverage has simply become a hot liquid that is part of a routine.

I would like to pose a question - Do you really taste your food?

Many of us are caretakers of elders, parents to children, and have spouses, partners and friends. It may feel overwhelming to fit in time to work, clean the house, keep the relationship with our partner strong, feed the kids, exercise, have a social life AND cook nutritious food on top of trying to sneak sleep in. Who can blame us? It’s a busy world.

Too often we are in a hurry and we don’t need to be.

I encourage you to connect to your food as you eat. Look at food as a source of nourishment instead of simply as a source of pleasure or reward. The best way to practice  eating mindfully is with a simple exercise involving a single raisin. I have incorporated this exercise into my 7 week program as well as into smaller workshops. To embody mindful eating in your physiology and to experience it in a room full of people has astounded so many others that I have worked with and can be transformative in shifting your pace, perception and entire experience of how you consume food.

Peace and love,

Christina

A note from Garden Acupuncture:

If you are interested in learning about mindfulness, meditation, Chinese herbs, energy healing or any other wellness topic, let us know! We are happy to add them to our workshop series or to chat about these topics with you. Send us a note!