The holiday preparation race is on: Cooking, cleaning, hosting, visiting, and tackling a holiday shopping list that is growing faster than last summer’s weeds. Before you know it, the table is set and you’re serving the holiday meal. This year, though, is going to be different–you’re going to sit down and savor the cornucopia of flavors and the good company at your table.
The art of Mindful Eating, with its roots in Zen teachings, aims to reconnect you more deeply with the experience of eating and drinking. It’s the process of deliberately paying attention to what is happening both within yourself and in your environment during mealtime. When you eat mindfully, you are in tune with the aroma, taste, and texture of food. You become much more aware of your appetite–just how hungry are you? And, you become more sensitive to the feeling of fullness, so you’ll be less likely to overeat. Mindful eating brings enjoyment back to mealtime.
5 Ways to Slow Down and Savor Your Holiday Meal
Pause & Connect. After you give thanks for your meal, but before you pick up your fork, take a moment to connect with your appetite. How hungry do you feel? Of all the glorious food on the table before you, what are you truly hungry for? What flavors will nourish you and replenish your energy? Try not to choose foods out of habit. Fill your plate first with the foods your body is saying it most needs. Then, embellish your plate with smaller amounts of those traditional holiday favorites.
Another thought here is to pause until you start salivating, that is the body’s way of saying it is ready to help you digest. This is especially important for all those holiday carbohydrates as the enzyme amylase (which is present in saliva) is the first step to breaking the carbohydrates down into usable energy.
Clear Digital Distractions. Although it’s less likely at holiday time when family and friends gather from near and far, it’s easy to forget to turn off the digital devices that are such a huge part of our lives. Everyone at your table should be in the moment for the main part of the meal–free of distraction. I’ve know people that will completely shut off the wi-fi in the whole house during meals and/or sleep hours.
Take Bites, Not Gulps. Instead of shoveling food into your mouth, take smaller bites and focus on chewing and tasting it. As stated above, digestion begins with the act of chewing. Salivary enzymes break down food the moment it enters your mouth. Your taste buds awaken to flavors as you chew. Pause between bites to set your utensils down and breathe.
Engage All the Senses. The taste of food is just one way to appreciate it. Throughout your meal, notice how food smells and how it looks on the plate. Notice the colors and the textures. I always have a goal to have a rainbow of color on my plate! Consider the nutrients that the food will provide for you. Appreciate every aspect of eating (and celebrating) the holiday meal.
Be a Nonjudgmental Diner. Being a nonjudgmental diner is about paying attention to your needs for nourishment and not the person’s next to you. I can be quite guilty of this myself – knowing that someone else’s food choices may not be the best choice for them… and knowing that sometimes my food choices are not the best for me. Keep in mind, as adults, we can only be responsible for our own choices. If we feel on the verge of overindulgence at our holiday meal, we need to make it a conscious decision. Choose your favorite holiday treat and bring a focused awareness to eating it. By eating with focused awareness, often we will be so satisfied by that first piece of pie, the urge for seconds is no longer apparent.