The ultimate gift of taking a mindful eating approach to food is a shift in your relationship with food and eating. This shift will not happen overnight but it will happen over time. Overeating, binge eating, emotional eating, and making poor food choices are habits that have been around for a long time. Altering your mindset can assist in your journey and foster conditions for success. Try these attitudes on for your new mindful eating mindset:
- Be curious and playful as you incorporate mindful eating into your life. Judgment and self-criticism will undermine your efforts. Release them.
- Focus on making small, incremental changes. Sweeping changes can be too anxiety producing and consequently defeat your intentions.
- Make changes that you will be able to continue for the indefinite future. We are making changes that you can continue for the rest of your lifetime. This is not a temporary fix.
- Redefine the purpose of food in your life. Instead of using food as entertainment or medicine look to food as a means for supporting life, for giving you the strength and energy you need to lead a meaningful and fulfilling life.
Adapted from Mindful Bites – Joyful Life: 365 Days of Mindful Eating. Available in bookstores everywhere.
