In order to restore the body back to wholeness, we need to pay attention to what we eat, the colors, textures, tastes of our food, where the foods we eat are grown, how they’re harvested, how we prep and/or cook the food we eat, how we serve and eat our food, how we honor those who made it possible for us to eat our food. This is conscious eating!
Much of the time, in our harried lives, these questions go unheard and largely unanswered. Eating mindfully, serves the body and mind, by consciously giving ourselves a moment to pause and celebrate the food we’re offering our bodies.
When we eat mindfully, we not only notice our food at the moment and how it tastes, but we are aware of how the food we eat makes us feel. Food is our fuel. The quality of it can either energize us or sabotage our health and wellbeing.
When we focus on conscious eating and notice how specific foods make us feel, we begin to listen and hear when we’re satisfied at a given me. We then begin to notice when we’re truly hungry and in need of physical food and when we’re just the feeling depleted emotionally and in need of self-care.
What we eat and whether or not we prioritize conscious eating eat affects how we feel and how we think. The more we become conscious of our food and how it makes us feel, both physically and mentally, the more we begin to really taste our food. When we’re present to our food, we begin to celebrate its inherent aliveness. As a result, we begin to desire healthy food more.
The more we eat fresh, seasonal, local food, the more the body desires these flavors and textures. And the amazing thing is that the body responds extraordinarily quickly. Within 2 – 3 days at most, we notice we have more energy and a lighter mood.