“When walking, walk. When eating, eat.”
– Zen proverb-
DO YOUR ALMONDS TASTE LIKE DIRT?
A few years ago, I was in a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction course with the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts. On this particular day, our class had to do a Mindful Eating Test. We were all required to bring a piece of food to that day’s session so we could mindfully eat.
We went through the process, using as many senses as possible – looking at the food, noting it’s colour and shape, smelling it, feeling the surface and texture, and then finally, tasting it and paying attention to the flavour, mouthfeel and any other physical sensations (or nostalgic ones) we could recognize.
When we were finished eating the first bite, we were asked to share our realizations. One woman shot her hand up immediately.
“I chose to eat almonds today”, she said, “but I just realized I don’t even like them!” We all laughed.
She continued, “I never realized it before because I’m so used to shoving a handful of them into my mouth as I run out the door. They kind of taste like dirt!”
If you can you relate to this story – maybe eating on the go, not really tasting your food, or even thinking almonds taste like dirt, then it might be time to try The Mindful Eating Test.
Learn more: The Top 10 Unhealthy Habits Stressing Out Your Body and Mind
THE MINDFUL EATING TEST
You may not be able to mindfully eat at every meal or snack, but try to do this test at least once per day with at least a few bites of food. Most of this excerpt below is taken from Judson Brewer MD PhD, a thought leader in the field of habit change and the “science of self-mastery”, and author of The Craving Mind. Good luck!
For bonus points, take 1-3 deep breaths before each step of the process.
- Find a food you’d like to use for the exercise. Make sure you can hold it in your hand (not a liquid or something you need a utensil to eat).
- Use your senses of sight and touch. Pick up the piece of food and look at it. Imagine you’re a scientist who just discovered this food and want to know everything about it. Look at it carefully. What do you see? Is it smooth or textured? How does the light hit it? What else do you notice? Turn it over on your palm or in your fingers. How does it feel? Is it heavy or light? Rough or soft? How do your fingers feel touching it? Let your eyes explore every part of it. While you’re doing this, you may be getting some thoughts popping into your head, like “this is weird” or “what is the point of this” or even “there is no way this is going to help.” Those are totally natural. Simply note them as thoughts (or even thank your brain for having them) and return back to paying attention to the food in your hand.
- Use your sense of smell. Next, bring the food up under your nose and inhale. Smell the object, not just once, but for several breaths. How does it smell? Do any other sensations arise?
- Get your digestive enzymes ready! Now bring the object to your mouth. Notice how your hand and arm move automatically to move the food to your lips. Pause for a moment with the food at your lips. Notice if your mouth is starting to water. (Did you know you have enzymes in your saliva called ‘salivary enzymes’ that help you digest your food?)
- Prepare to chew. Now, gently take the first bite of food. Don’t chew — just notice how it is “received” by your mouth. Explore the sensations of having it in your mouth. How does it feel on your tongue? Your teeth?
- Use your sense of taste. Now bring your attention to the taste. What does it taste like? Can you tell where on your tongue you feel the taste?
- Mindfully chew. Now start to slowly chew the food. Notice any additional tastes that are released. Feel the food changing in consistency and the increase in saliva in your mouth. Did you know that not chewing your food properly can increase stress on your digestive system?
- Pause. Then be aware of the need to swallow. See if you can recognize this before swallowing, and then consciously swallow the food. Pause for a moment to notice the feeling in your mouth of the food not being there. How does it feel? Is there any desire for the remaining piece of food, still in hand?
- Go in for seconds! Now, take your second and last bite. Chew just as slowly and mindfully as before. Is anything different this time? Is it more pleasurable or less? Do you chew and swallow faster than before? Pay attention each moment. See if you can notice sensations in your throat or stomach after you swallow.
- You’ve trained your body to be calm and your brain to pay attention. Once the food is finished, thank yourself for taking the moment to eat mindfully, and for paying attention.
Stop and consider what you noticed during this exercise. Did you enjoy the food? Did slowing down cause you to feel impatient or anxious? What else did you notice about the food, the process or yourself?