I will be the first to admit that I love the Holiday season! My heart is so full when we gather together with family and friends. Gatherings often surround amazing comfort foods, sweet treats and warming beverages! I love all the seasonal recipes, all the different food traditions, all the different flavors and textures. I love it all! Brings back fond memories of my Grandma Elaine and Grandpa Walter making huge pans of lasagna on Christmas day, the amazing aroma of basil, oregano and rosemary that seemed to fill the whole house. The warmth from the ovens running all morning. They would make batched of Christmas cookies and rich holiday fudge that would be kept in the metal coffee containers in the front porch! All the senses are engaged! I can still close my eyes and I am right back in those moments. The smells, the tastes, the feelings of joy, love and gratitude.

That's what guided me to select Mindful Eating as our Week 1 Mindfulness Practice! My goal this week will be to dive into ways to incorporate mindfulness into our daily eating habits, explore the science between our gut health and overall wellness, share healthy recipes to help keep our bodies strong and nourished throughout the weeks ahead, and touch on movements/exercises we can incorporate to help with  improving our digestive health.

I want to start by saying that mindful eating is not a diet plan! Eating mindfully is not about never eating anything "unhealthy" - it more about finding balance! When you're able to discover and maintain a balance that's right for you, you'll create a deeper connection to your mindful eating practice. 

What is Mindful Eating and why is it important to our Wellness?

Let's start by defining what Mindful Eating is. The Center for Mindful Eating defines this practice as "allowing yourself to become aware of the positive and nurturing opportunities that are available through food selection and preparation." Eating is one of the most powerful ways to nurture ourselves. Our relationship with food is a central one that reflects our attitudes toward our environment and ourselves. As a practice, mindful eating can bring us awareness of our own actions, thoughts, feelings and motivations, and insight into the roots of health and contentment. In other words, a Mindful Eating practice is more than just having nutrition-rich meals. It is gaining awareness of how our food selections impact our health, moods, and energy levels. Acknowledging tastes, flavors, and where are food comes from. Finding appreciation and gratitude for the food that we have and the family and relationships that gather around our tables. Mindful eating is nourishing your body with good nutrition, nourishing your mind with fulfillment, and nourishing your heart with satisfaction. 

Have you heard the saying "Food IS Medicine?" While food cannot replace medication entirely, eating mindfully and nutritiously is your best defense against chronic illness. Eating natural foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains have been scientifically proven to help manage hypertension (high blood pressure), high cholesterol (helps keep our hearts healthy), reduces inflammation and prevent type 2 diabetes. 

How do you practice Mindful Eating? 

* Eating is something we tend to do automatically, often because we tend to do it while we are doing other things such as talking, thinking, reading, scrolling through emails, or watching television. How many times have you had to stop and think about what you last ate? To practice mindfulness while you are eating, engage fully with the experience of eating, without other distractions. For this week plan to sit down for your meals! Turn the T.V. off and put away the electronics. Be fully present and open in the act of eating. 

* Take a moment to engage all the senses. Look at the photo on the top of this page. The colors are intense almost artful! The vegetables so fresh and full of nutrients. Take that forward! With each meal this week take a moment to admire the smell of your entrée, appreciate the colors, textures and flavors. Think about the nutrients in your food and reflect on the positive impact it will have on your body. 

* Eating slowly. When you slow down, you appreciate all the delicious flavors and textures in your food. This also allows your mind time to catch up- signaling that we are full. Research suggests that our brain requires 20 minutes in order to gain knowledge about the fullness of our stomach. Eating slowly helps you tune into the sensation of physical fulness and satiation while eating. 

* This may sound silly but chew your food thoroughly, and stop to take a breath between bites. Remember that digestion begins in the mouth as our saliva contains digestive enzymes. 

*Mindful eating involves listening to your hunger cues and your energy levels. 

Journaling Prompts:

-Make a list of some obstacles or determents that make mindful eating challenging for you? Are you mornings to rushed to have a good healthy breakfast? Do you tend to Door Dash fast food for your lunch breaks? Are you busy running the kiddos around to there activities during dinner time? After you have identified some obstacles - I want you now to brainstorm ways you can solve these issues! Writing it down takes away some of its power, breaks down challenges and makes them more manageable!

-Notice any patterns that stand out throughout the week - are you feeling tired in the afternoons and tend to reach for snacks? What time are you eating dinner at night? 

-What are the feelings that come up for you when you eat? Happiness? Security? Warmth? Guilt? Sadness? Note if there are certain foods that trigger responses? What is your energy level at following your meals? 

-Listen to your emotions. How do you feel before eating? During? After? Write it down! You might be able to discern a pattern between how you're feeling and what  you are putting in your body. 

-What do you tell yourself about eating? Again, let go of any temptation to judge your thoughts or feelings. 

There are no right or wrong answers - just awareness. 

When you practice mindful eating, you create a deeper connection with your food and become more aware of the effects it has on you. I believe eating mindfully is about taking a holistic approach to what you eat, how you eat, and the effect that food has on your body. Personally I've found significant benefit in taking this approach to my eating habits. When I try to eat mindfully, I regain a sense of control, awareness, and connection with food. Living with Lupus for the last 11 years I have been able to identify foods and eating habits that directly impact how I feel on a daily basis. My nutritionist has guided me in a simple practice of trying to eat foods in there most natural state, and to eat the rainbow! By incorporating mindful eating I find I am more appreciative and aware of the impact food has on how I am able to present in my daily life! Mindful eating has helped me to show up as my best self while living with Lupus. Thank you all for showing up on day 1 of this challenge! 

And we are off to a great start! 

All my love,

Katie