The incredible power that food can have to heal and unite when we take the time to savor food, take note of our senses, and enjoy the company of our friends and loved ones. Food is so much more than fuel.
Changing times call for reflection
Since being in quarantine during this pandemic, I’ve had a lot of time to reflect on the meaning of mindful eating and the power that food can have to heal and unite. Many posts I’ve come across on social media regarding mindful eating promote the wrong messages and are often wrapped up in a veil of “diet culture talk” we are all too familiar with.
Diet culture reframes the notion of mindful eating to create the perception of health and wellness, when in reality, much of the information the media propagates surrounding mindful eating is rooted in diets, restriction, food obsession, and calorie counting. This cycle of obsessing over what we put in our bodies and what is and isn’t healthy only leads to a negative perception of our bodies and our self worth.
Where’s the mindfulness in “mindful eating” when you are constantly thinking about when to put your fork down or how much you’ve already eaten? This so called “diet culture talk” has made us stray away from the true definition of mindful eating. In its true form, the concept of mindful eating can be use to increase overall health, longevity, and wellbeing. It is the principle that has shaped the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle for centuries and which has been lost in our American culture.
The real truth about mindful eating.
The concept we are told about mindful eating revolves around the idea of taking time to eat meals, putting down your fork in between bites, and listening to hunger cues to know when you are full.
But, there’s a whole other side to mindful eating that often gets lost in the shuffle: the opportunity to allow ourselves to savor every bite of our meal, appreciate the company of loved ones, or the chance to regroup with friends and family to talk about our day. To laugh and enjoy the power that meals can have to bring us closer and remind us of all we have to be grateful for. Every Day.
Food is so much more than calories and nutrients.
A warped perception
Diet culture likes to take words like “mindful eating” or “intuitive eating” and turn them into a constant need to micromanage how we eat, how much we are eating, or when we choose to eat.
All this does is reinforce the idea that we should experience guilt or stress surrounding meals. It’s time to take back these warped concepts and get back to the root of what mindfulness really signifies.
The power of mindfulness
It’s amazing. When you take the pressure off from constantly checking in with your body for hunger cues during your meals and instead choose to savor your food and enjoy the company around you, you begin to look at food in a new light.
Having grown up in Madrid, Spain, I came to appreciate the slow pace of life. The balanced three course meals eaten with bread, wine, and good company. Conversations that last for hours. The opportunity to set your fork down in between bites to laugh at a joke or sit back and hear a good story. Because THAT is what intuitive eating should be about, not an opportunity to control how we eat.
Mindfulness is at the core of Spanish food culture and has opened my eyes to what our fast paced food culture has denied us: the ability to slow down. To appreciate the art of home cooking. The two hour siesta and long sit-down meals with family.
No wonder Spain was voted the healthiest country in the world in 2019.
Our bodies are meant to savor food, to feel the sensation of fullness and enjoy the company around us. When we are permitted these things, we start becoming more in touch with our bodies. We discover the power that food has to heal and unite.
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