Comfort Cravings

How to soothe yourself without food—and how to eat healthfully and mindfully.

by Susan Albers, Psy.D.

Mindful Eating in Six Words

Published on February 2, 2010 by Susan Albers, Psy.D. in Comfort Cravings

Mindful Eating in Six Words: Eat food with purpose, on purpose.

These six words sum up as simply as possible my own philosophy about the concept of mindful eating. Sure, mindful eating is much more complex. But, hopefully, these six words give you a little inspiration. Whenever you are about to take a bite ask yourself, "Am I eating this food, with and on purpose?" In other words, are you intentionally and consciously choosing what you eat rather than consuming food out of mindless habit. Also, is the food serving a purpose such as satisfying hunger or adding nutrition to your body? Much of mindless eating has no purpose or function.

Eat. Mindful: Taste, enjoy, sit down, and savor. Mindless: Grazing, nibbling, shoveling food in your mouth.

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Food. Mindful: Eat real food, whole grains, fruits, a diversity of healthy meals, occasional treats. Mindless: Eating fake foods, processed foods, things you don't like.

Purposefully. Mindful: Be aware and in-the-moment, intentionally choose foods rather than what is convenient, eat foods that give you fuel and have a purpose to your body. Mindless: Eating because it is there, out of habit, to zone out, to deal with emotions.

Mindful eating is a process. It takes time to break out of old habits. Remember: Eat food with purpose, on purpose.

By: Dr. Susan Albers, psychologist and author of the new book, 50 Ways to Soothe Yourself Without Food and Eating Mindfully.

www.eatingmindfully.com