What is your relationship with food?
My life is full and I cut corners some times. One way I cut corners is by eating on the run. I’m rethinking this habit as I look more closely at my relationship with food. What is it about food that keeps us stuck in patterns?
Here are some tips to help you observe your relationship to food.
*Write down the kinds of foods you like to eat (e.g., fast food, vegetables, comfort food, sweets, raw foods, etc.).
*Write down your eating habits (e.g., eat in the car, eat takeout, prepare fresh home-cooked meals, sit down for all meals, eat slowly, eat quickly, chew food well, swallow large quantities of food at one time, etc.).
*Ask yourself where these habits originated. Childhood patterns? Friends? Convenience?
*If you crave a certain food, ask yourself what you’re really craving. Connection? Safety? Being heard? Being seen for who you are? Being accepted for who you are?
*Check in with your body while you’re eating and sense if you’re full. If you’re not sure, stop eating and set a timer for two minutes and then check in again.
*Are you a member of the clean plate club? If yes, ask yourself if it’s because you’re really that hungry, the scarcity principle, a habit, something you were told to do at some point in your life, etc.
*Are these patterns in your best interest at this time?
If you’d like to try something new, here are a few ideas.
*Next time you’re at the grocery store pick up a vegetable you’ve never tried or maybe one you haven’t had in a long time (e.g., artichoke, rutabaga, parsnip, Brussels sprouts, endive, etc.). Be curious and open. Eat it slowly.
*Try chewing your food 15 to 20 times before swallowing. How many times do you chew before swallowing normally?
*Eat mindfully. Choose a meal and be mindful about eating. Try eating with no conversation, no distractions (no TV, no internet, etc.); just you and the food. Experience the food. What colors do you see when you look at the food? What smells do you experience? Take a bite. Close your eyes. What is your experience of the food in your mouth? How does it feel on your tongue? How does it feel when you swallow? Are you aware of the different areas on your tongue where different groups of taste buds exist?
Once you check in you have more information and can choose where you want to go from here.
Have fun with this!
Stay tuned! I plan to talk about the relationship between chakras and food soon.
