Our relationship with food is a very personal one. We equate food with memories and good times with our family and friends. We in no way want to give up that, but we can change how we think about food. How does food make you feel when you eat? Being mindful of these feelings is supposed to get you on track to losing weight and keeping it off. Here are some suggestions for this diet to think about. They really do make sense once you are aware of them.
Remove Toxins – Removing toxins from your diet will also open your mind to removing toxic relationships and other toxic situations. While removing toxins from your diet will help you to be healthier and lose inches from your waistline, you will also be happier because your mind is also helping to remove toxins from other areas of your life.
Think Before Ordering – When out to eat with a friend, you may just take a quick minute to find something on the menu that looks good, and not really give it a lot of thought. Take time to think about what you really want to eat. Try to ignore cravings though there is nothing wrong with an occasional burger.
Take enough time to connect your mind with your appetite so you can make better choices. Choose more than one item, and then ask yourself what is best for your body. This isn’t about becoming rail thin, but about your body being what it is meant to be. Once you start being more mindful of what you eat, you will lose weight.
Enjoy Your Meals – Eating is a sensory experience, and you should take time to enjoy it. Eat slowly and enjoy every bite. Your mind will come to enjoy the experience of the tastes, smells, the visual of the food on the plate and the table setting, as well as the gratitude that you experience while enjoying the meal. Stop mindlessly eating in front of the television or computer and experience your meals. You will find that you are also eating less because you will know when you are full and not just cleaning your plate.
Cut Back White Foods – Although, especially when stressed, we turn to white foods such as bread, rice, and pizza dough, these should be cut back. They are packed with sugar, and sugar is carbohydrates, that eventually turn to fat. The comfort we get from white foods is not worth the pounds. This is not saying that if you are at a pizza party that you can’t have a slice. Just don’t make it a habit of eating these foods several times a week. Whole wheat bread, pasta, and pizza crust can be just as satisfying, just as brown rice instead of white rice can be.
This diet is not really a diet per se, but a lifestyle change. Being mindful of what you eat, and making the eating experience a pleasurable one is supposed to make you healthier and happier.
(Photo courtesy of Marja Flick-Buijs)
