Cultivating Balance through Mindful Eating
One component of cultivating balance in our lives is by how we pay attention to our nutritional balance. This can be achieved by practicing Mindful Eating. Mindful Eating includes choosing our food wisely, eating slowly, being present and focused at each meal, and concentrating on the five senses as we enjoy the variety of tastes and textures in each bite.
This is easier said than done, right? Why? Because we are complex beings with complicated and hectic lives and an array of emotional ups and downs.
“To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art.” –François de La Rochefoucauld
In order to incorporate Mindful Eating successfully into our everyday lives, we first need to understand why we repeat behavior that releases a chain reaction of overeating or eating mindlessly, resulting in feelings of guilt and shame. Why do we forget the overwhelming frustration that stems from this repetitive behavior?
Mindful Eating is intentional. The intention is to love and nurture oneself and to respect one’s body. The intention is to fuel the body with the best available life-sustaining energy provided to us by nature. The goal is to be very aware of our state of mind and the emotions that are present when we experience a particular food craving. For example, feelings of anger, stress, low self-esteem, sadness, anxiety, and boredom might drive us towards food. Acknowledging these emotions and recognizing each one of them for what they are is a good start.
Dealing with the existing problems in a manner that is not food-related is the second step. For instance, choosing a hobby or a practice (such as yoga or meditation) that is therapeutic can be a good substitute for soothing yourself with food. When temptation is staring you in the face, try counting backwards from 10 to 1, with a deep breath in between each number. This buys time and calms the mind. When a craving is overwhelming, you only need about 20 minutes of redirected activity before the craving dissipates.
Slow Down and Enjoy Your Meals for Mindful Eating
Something what makes our eating mindless instead of mindful is our practice of getting caught up in the frenzy of life happening around us. We have forgotten how to really enjoy our meals. When was the last time that you sat down at your dining room table, lit some candles and listened to soft music while enjoying your dinner? When was the last time you enjoyed going out to eat to spend time with family and friends? We may enjoy some of the best restaurants in Fort Collins or in any one of our favorite communities.
Yet all too often, we are collectively sitting in front of a laptop, cell phone, or television while eating. In those cases, how well do we really taste that food? How well do we really chew that food? How aware are we of the amount we are eating? What kinds of food did we combine? How well did we digest the food we just ate? Heartburn anyone?!
When you eat mindfully, you eat just enough, so that you are satisfied after your meal. When you eat mindlessly, you get up from the table feeling uncomfortably stuffed to the point of feeling sick. It takes time and practice to make the shift to choose mindfulness over mindlessness. On a daily basis, choose Mindful Eating and create a new habit that supports balance in all areas of your life.
Pomegranate and Lentil Salad with Yogurt Dressing
Enjoy the combination of different flavors and entice your senses with this salad that is an invitation to eat mindfully.
Salad Ingredients
1 cup fresh pomegranate seeds
½ cup cooked lentils
1 cup shredded white and red cabbage
1 cup chopped romaine lettuce
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
½ cup slivered raw almonds
Dressing
3 tbs. low-fat organic Greek yogurt
½ fresh squeezed blood orange or lemon
½ tbs. extra virgin olive oil (optional)
Directions
Combine salad ingredients and large bowl. Mix yogurt with citrus and olive oil and stir well. Toss over salad.
Linda Nahai-Nassib was born in Arlington Virginia and raised in Iran until the age of twelve, when she left for England to continue her studies at Kent College boarding school for girls.
After successfully completing secondary school at Kent, she pursued her education in French at Pensionnat Florissant in Lausanne, Switzerland.
She then left for France, where she majored in French Literature and Language at the Sorbonne University in Paris. Her passion for art led her to Jeoffryn Byrs stylist school of fashion illustration and Esmod Guerre Lavigne school of fashion and design where she received her degrees.
After moving to the United States, she pursued her studies in the field of health and fitness and was certified by Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA).
She then took a certification course at UCLA in Nutrition and fitness, which then led her to National Association of Certified Natural Health Professionals where she received her certification in the areas of Nutrition, Enzyme Therapy, Iridology, Homeopathy and children’s nutrition from CNHP.
Linda has been a practicing nutritionist and fitness consultant since the year 2000 and during this time has been a regular public speaker for charitable functions such as Haifa Hadassah, Malka Hadassah, Iranian-American Jewish Federation (IAJF), The Rotary Club of Rancho Park, JHOPE (Jewish Health Outreach Prevention and Education), Eretz Cultural Center, Ort Organization and Ateret Israel.
Linda was also a regular featured guest on KIRN 670 Live Radio each month during the years from 2000 to 2009, advising on and discussing an array of health topics and responding to KIRN listeners.