Eat a treat... really, really slowly
Eat a treat... really, really slowly
Yes, you read that right, we're telling you to eat a treat. This is a lifestyle nutrition program which means that over the course of your, well life there will be situations where there are treats, desserts, red light foods, etc. The idea is that as we are focusing on eating slowly, we're going to also focus on what we call "slow down for satisfaction". So often, when we eat something that we think is "bad" we feel guilty and disappointed for "falling off the wagon" and in response we ultimately find ourselves more because after all we've all ready cheated so we might as well go for broke, right? Slowing down for satisfactions i
At some point over the next 7 days, block off 15 minutes with no interruptions or distractions to complete the following task.
(If you can’t find 15 quiet minutes alone, then either you’re a mother of a newborn, you’re in a trench in a war zone, or you may want to re-evaluate some things in your life.)
Set your treat out in front of you and look at them/it. Pick up your first bite and inspect it closely. Notice how each bite is unique.
Sniff the treat. Does it smell like anything? If yes, what? Can you identify the scent?
Pop the treat into your mouth. Roll it around a bit, feeling the texture.
Bite into it. Notice what happens to your taste buds. Chew it slowly. Does the taste change as you chew? Chew the bite 15 times.
Then swallow the raisin and repeat with the rest of your treat.
Observe carefully
After doing this exercise, ask yourself:
What did I notice?
What did I experience?
Don’t worry — we aren’t asking you to eat all your meals like this!
This exercise simply shows you how much more you can experience and enjoy your food when you slow down, pay attention, and eat mindfully. And when you give yourself permission to have a treat, you should do exactly this and savor the delicious foods that you've decided to eat instead of feeling guilty about it.
