Samara Serotkin, PsyD, Clinical Psychologist

The next time you sit down to eat, take a moment to observe what’s on your plate, both physically and metaphorically. What are you thinking about? How many tasks are you trying to do while also eating? How much are you really noticing what you are putting in your mouth? If you are like most people, mealtime is a time to multitask. Whether you are eating lunch at your desk or reading the paper while eating breakfast, the act of eating has taken a backseat in terms of your attention. While we sometimes need to use mealtimes to get tasks done, it has become the norm that we don’t really pay attention to what we are eating.

The practice of mindful eating has gotten some attention in the media lately. Studies are showing that practicing mindful eating can contribute to better weight loss results as well as lower stress and greater happiness. It’s a simple and free practice that can be done by anybody pretty much anywhere. The basic idea is that when you decide to eat mindfully, you choose to focus all of your attention on the act of eating. You slow down your eating, putting your fork down in between bites and really letting your mouth savor each bite. You work to steer your thoughts towards simply experiencing each bite, one at a time. As you eat your meal, you pause and reflect on your body’s experience of each bite, noting how your hunger level may have changed, noticing the impact the food is having on your body.

Mindful eating is sometimes called an “anti-diet,” because it can be an integral part of a healthy living plan but doesn’t focus on foods you can or can’t eat. Instead, it focuses more on how you eat what you have chosen to eat. By eating slowly and really paying attention to your body’s reactions to each bite, you become more in tune with your body’s signals that you are satisfied or hungry, or that you are eating things your body actually needs or could do without. While mindful eating can contribute to weight loss, it isn’t a stand-alone strategy. You can’t just eat anything you want mindfully and still lose weight. It can, however, help you to feel satisfied with the healthy eating plan you have decided to follow.

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to experience mindful eating on a retreat with the Zen monk Thich Nhat Hanh. Every meal we ate that week was eaten in silence. We were encouraged to take a full hour to eat each meal, focusing all of our attention on that experience. Sounds simple, right? Well, it’s easier said than done. I spent a lot of time redirecting myself from old habits. I found my mind preoccupied with planning, judging, thinking, and generally trying to find distractions. It was really difficult to let my eating fill my attention span.  As the retreat progressed, though, I found that this practice was increasingly rewarding. I found myself appreciating the humble, simple food I was given much more then I could have imagined. I discovered that simple, unsweetened oatmeal can actually offer a delicate and complex flavor that I learned to appreciate. I found myself eating less, because I was more in touch with my hunger level – I realized I was no longer hungry before I was stuffed and was able to stop eating at a comfortable level of satisfaction.

After the retreat, and once again back in the “real world” of deadlines and endless to-do lists, I found it can be difficult to justify to myself carving out time for mindful eating. Then I read the studies describing how mindful eating can support a healthy lifestyle and I remember how important it is to try to fit at least some mindful eating into my schedule. On weeks when I just can’t find the time to eat a full mindful meal, I at least try to take the first few minutes or even just the first few bites of a meal mindfully. Even these small steps help me to cultivate the benefits of mindful eating. I encourage you to try it as well!