Now that you’ve spent some time truly noticing how your food tastes, feels, smells, gives you satisfaction, I want to you take it a step further. Keep doing what you are doing, but I want you to start noticing how your body feels throughout the day. Are you energetic or lethargic at certain times of the day? Is it the same feelings, at the same time, every day? Or are you energetic one day but lethargic another.
Look for patterns in how you’re feeling. Is your stomach upset after lunch one day but not another. Do you feel like going back to bed some mornings but others you bound out of bed. Start to make some connections with what you eat and how you feel. If you suspect that a certain food may be causing you to have an upset stomach or feel lethargic, eat it a couple more times and see if you get the same reaction. Then cut that food out for a few days and see if you feel better.
If you discover that your favorite food makes you feel worse, don’t fret. It doesn’t mean you can never have your favorite food ever again. You may decide that its not worth feeling crappy to eat that food but if you’re really craving it, eat it, savor it and DO NOT feel guilty about it.
Mindful eating is not only about noticing what you’re eating while you’re eating it, it’s also about making mindful choices before you eat. You will start to think about food before you eat it and decide if it is the right choice for you at that moment. You may decide to eat something that you know doesn’t make you feel your best. That’s ok. Again, eat it, enjoy it and do not feel guilty. Next time you may make a different decision. Maybe not. It doesn’t really matter actually. It’s about being mindful and making knowledgeable choices, whatever they may be.