www.tcme.
org Winter 2010
Food for Thought
W h a t i s m i n d f u l e a t i n g ?
• Allowing yourself to become • Choosing to eat food that is • Learning to be aware of • Acknowledging responses to
aware of the positive and both pleasing to you and physical hunger and satiety food (likes, neutral or dislikes)
nurturing opportunities that nourishing to your body by cues to guide your decision to without judgment.
are available through food using all your senses to begin eating and to stop
preparation and consumption explore, savor, and taste. eating.
by respecting your own inner
wisdom.
Free Handout for Individuals from The Center for Mindful Eating
Right Eating may sound trite, but participants something else out to eat like a
in our Mindful Eating and Living cookie or a pastry or
Brian M. Shelley M.D.
course in Albuquerque, N.M., something. I kind of feel like,
Although a new year is an obvious have reported that mindful eating “Oh, that’s enough.” I can go
opportunity for a new approach to generally leads to more actually without having
health, the satisfaction anything else.
concept of from less This woman has created options
“weight loss” By adopting a more food, with for herself via right eating. She
may be a set-up mindful approach to more good lost weight, but not by
for failure. feelings after concentrating on loss and
Immediately, the eating, we can make the meal too!
deprivation. Mindful eating
idea of a “loss” is more of what is in After about provides a means for enhancing
front and center.
This implies a front of us, and more four weeks of satisfaction and pleasure in and
practicing around eating, which is our
loss of favorite fully enjoy the food mindfulness “gain.”
foods and
ingrained habits, that we do choose to meditation Brian M. Shelley, M.D., is a TCME board
for at least 10 member and Wellness Director, First Choice
and a subtle eat. minutes a Community Healthcare, Albuquerque, N.M.
sense of He can be contacted at
day and
deprivation can [email protected].
trying to eat more mindfully in
set in even before getting started.
general, one female participant
A better term might be “right said:
eating,” which does not require a
I also noticed ... that after
loss of any kind, but instead a
dinner if I feel like I need to eat
gain. By adopting a more mindful
something sweet, I’ll have a
approach to eating, we can make
half an orange. It seems that
more of what is in front of us, and
when I have the sweet from the
more fully enjoy the food that we
orange, that’s enough. I don’t
do choose to eat. This concept
feel like I have to go search
TCME is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the principles of mindful eating. This handout can be copied and distributed for educational purposes.
