The relationship you have with food is a direct reflection of the relationship you have with yourself, your life, and everyone around you. Having a good connection with yourself is being comfortable with whatever emotion comes up for you. Over-eating, depriving/restricting food, or making poor choices are all ways of avoiding feeling what you don't want to feel. Here are three tips and a meditation to help get you started on your journey.
“Good food is the foundation of genuine happiness.”-Auguste Escoffier
Don't be tormented by controlling what you eat: When we talk about food generally it is the opposite of being guided intuitively. You might feel the need to control this area of life to avoid other areas falling apart. You can develop bad habits and eating patterns that you don't notice. When you do this you are cutting off your connection to your body's natural ability to intuitively eat. Tune in and feed your body what it is craving, rather than what a diet is telling you to eat. Some days you will consume more, or fewer calories depending on the total energy expenditure of that day. You know what feels right for you listen in, and your body will tell you yes or no.
Stop making food a reward or punishment: When you are rewarding yourself with food, you are permitting yourself to overindulge, then comes the punishment. Let food be something that is there for fuel, joy, and pleasure. Find a reward that is not food. The real reward is being present to how great you are!
Start being more self-aware: What is the energy you are bringing to food? Notice how you feel when you sit down to eat- be present. Don't read, be on your phone, or drive while eating. Take smaller bites, chewing your food well, and savoring the flavors. Put your knife and fork down and sip water in between bites. By slowing down you will be able to notice the foods that don't make you feel good, or the signal when you are full, which can be missed while rushing through your food.
If you feel anxious, you might want to try taking a moment to breath before starting your meal: Breath in for five seconds, Hold for five seconds, and breath out for five seconds. Do this for one minute.
Meditation:
If you want chocolate and you are someone who can eat chocolate. Buy a block of a high-quality brand. (if you don't each chocolate use any food)
Sit comfortably in your chair or on the floor crossed-legged. Cover your right nostril and gently keep it blocked for the whole meditation.
Breathe in through your left nostril and out through your mouth slowly and deeply. Do this for six minutes. Grab a piece of the chocolate (or food), Smell it, put it in your mouth and let the warmth of your mouth melt it on your tongue, notice the sensations in your mind and body. This is a completely different experience to have with food and is so much better than scoffing down a meal absent-mindedly.
Be your own biggest supporter when you succeed and fail. When you catch yourself in your old pattern of eating, be proud that you noticed it, and be more mindful from that moment on. You have the power to heal and change any aspect of your life. Connect to your intuition through meditation, and trust that it is always guiding you. It takes time to change a habit, be gentle with yourself.
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