Welcome to another transformative episode of "Mindful Eating and Inner Healing," where we embark on a journey to rediscover the joy and nourishment that food is meant to bring to our lives.
In this episode, I'll take you deep into the profound impact of mindful eating on our overall well-being, exploring its origins rooted in ancient mindfulness practices and its evolution into a powerful tool for healing in the modern world.
The episode unfolds into a rich tapestry of insights, from the core principles of mindfulness to its applications in weight regulation, digestive health, emotional well-being, blood sugar regulation, stress reduction, and the pure enjoyment of food.
Join me on this insightful exploration as I unravel the layers of mindful eating, offering not just a guide to healthier habits but a path to inner healing. Whether you're seeking weight management, emotional well-being, or a more satisfying dining experience, the wisdom shared and the principles of mindfulness reveal a meaningful difference in the way we relate to food.
So, let's embark on this journey together, where every bite becomes a mindful union, and every meal becomes an opportunity for self-discovery and transformation.
P.S If you love to read the transcript has been included below.
Welcome to Why Mindful eating...
00:00 - 00:57 Speaker 1: Whether you're overweight, suffer from an eating disorder, you're navigating specific health challenges or you just want to get the most out of your health and of course your life, mindful eating can help re-establish a natural and healthy connection with the way we approach and relate to food and our bodies. Savouring food is meant to be a delightful experience and a source of joy. However, our complex and often conflicting relationship with food can rob us of the simple pleasure and nourishment it's meant to bring. Integrating mindful eating into our daily lives can help us reclaim that basic satisfaction and make eating a truly gratifying part of our lives. It also has the potential to liberate us from the burdens of food choice guilt or the scrutiny of constant calorie counting.
00:57 - 01:46 Speaker 1: And it can even address more profound challenges such as overeating, emotional or comfort eating and even recovery from eating disorders. In today's episode, we're going to take a bit of a look at the definitions of mindful eating, the origins and of course the benefits to your overall mind-body health. Let's do it! Oh my gosh, I remember sitting down after this stressful and energy-draining demanding day at work. I'd planned to do some exercise, go and take my dog for a walk, but my energy levels were way below baseline and my mind felt laser locked like 1 of those Air Force jets on its target, like in Top Gun Maverick.
01:47 - 02:17 Speaker 1: And it was so, it was laser locked Towards seeking out the exact food I needed to consume to lift my mood, balance my rising stress levels and simply all round make me feel better. As I scanned my options, my mind sought solace in the comforting arms of the leftover ice cream I remembered was wedged up in the back of the freezer. Yes! Yes! I had totally forgotten about that ice cream.
02:17 - 02:46 Speaker 1: I was so happy I didn't have to jump in my car and go up to the 7-Eleven on the corner because that just felt like so much effort in the moment. But I would have resorted to that. My actions and mind were so erratic in that moment. They were erratic as a flickering flame and a gusty storm swaying unpredictably between moments of, I can't get this ice cream into me quick enough. And you should really be out walking right now like your original plan Larissa.
02:48 - 03:15 Speaker 1: Oh god, I've completely stuffed my diet. I'm also going to be so bloated tomorrow thanks to being lactose intolerant. Seriously, why don't you have any willpower when everyone else you seem to know seems to have it all together. I'm never going to reach my goal weight ever. Why did I even bother spending hundreds of dollars last week at the naturopath to give me a program?
03:17 - 03:47 Speaker 1: Oh, I then looked down to an empty ice cream container. The ice cream was gone. I hadn't even actually tasted or fully immersed myself into the joy or the pleasure that I was actually seeking from it. Maybe the first bite before my mind took a hold of me putting me into a whirlwind of self-doubt, guilt and regret. Okay, my mind said I'm pretty sure there's some biscuits in the cupboard.
03:48 - 04:04 Speaker 1: Yes! And then the cycle repeated itself. I really wish I knew back then what I know now. 1, that your mind can either be your best friend or your worst enemy. 2, my problem wasn't actually with food.
04:04 - 04:42
Speaker 1: It was with my inability to manage my emotional state and lack of stress relieving practices. 3. Mindful eating could have brought me to the centre of the joy or pleasure I was seeking through food to balance out my stress and emotions. If only I knew how to shut up my mind and enjoy the moment. Thanks to mindfulness, my relationship with myself, my emotions and food has taken a full 360 degree tone.
04:42 - 05:40 Speaker 1: Through the practice of mindfulness, full Disclosure here, which I once judged as lacking depth and boring, but not anymore, I discovered a profound shift in how I relate to myself, navigate my emotions and also engage with food. The once tumultuous waves of self-doubt and emotional turmoil began to settle, replaced by a calm and compassionate, more empowering dialogue with myself. Most of the time. Mindfulness became my anchor, grounding me in the present moment and allowing me to respond to my emotions with clarity, rather than this reactive impulsivity like a crazy woman. It extended its transformative touch to my relationship with food, turning meals into a mindful union rather than a battlefield of guilt and restriction.
05:41 - 06:12 Speaker 1: This 360 degree transformation wasn't just about how I ate or how I looked. It was really this holistic metamorphosis encompassing my mindset, my emotions, and of course, my overall wellbeing. Mindfulness, like a guiding light, led me to a place of self-acceptance and empowered choice. It fostered a healthier and more harmonious connection with myself and of course the world around me. And this is exactly why I'm here to share it with you today.
06:12 - 06:37 Speaker 1: And this podcast itself is called mindful eating and inner healing. Although I once thought it was lackluster, lack depth and was boring, it couldn't be anything from that. Actually it's kind of like the complete opposite to all of that. Where did it all begin? Well, mindful eating has its roots in ancient mindfulness practices, particularly derived from the Buddhist teachings.
06:38 - 07:35 Speaker 1: The concept draws inspiration from mindfulness meditation, which emphasizes being fully present and attentive to the current moment. In the context of eating, this means bringing full awareness to the experience of consuming food. The Buddhist practice of mindfulness, known as sati in Pali and smriti in Sanskrit, involves cultivating awareness, attention and presence in everyday activities, including eating. Mindful eating shares principles with Zen teachings where practitioners are encouraged to engage in all senses and appreciate each bite with complete attention. The modern application of mindful eating emerged in the 20th century with experts like Jon Kabat-Zinn incorporating mindfulness into the Western therapeutic practice.
07:36 - 08:07 Speaker 1: I love sharing Jon Kabat-Zinn's definition of mindfulness. It's pretty simple. It's that mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way, on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally. Where was he when I needed that? This definition encapsulates the essence of mindfulness, emphasizing intentional and non-judgmental awareness of the current moment.
08:07 - 08:54 Speaker 1: This would have come in handy when I was spending half of my precious time judging my actions all day long. Jon Kabat-Zinn founded the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program and Clinic. This has been instrumental in introducing mindfulness practices into the mainstream healthcare system and wellness fields. I delve much deeper into mindfulness itself, the tenets of mindfulness and the application of mindfulness in my online course, Mindful Eating, Mindset and Metabolism Mastery. So for today, overall, mindful eating has evolved from these contemplative traditions blending Eastern philosophy with contemporary insights into wellbeing and nutrition.
08:55 - 09:35 Speaker 1: Now let's move into the juicy part. We're going to explore some key research findings that highlight the profound benefits of cultivating mindfulness in our approach to food or our approach to eating and healing from negative food triggers. So the first 1 is weight management. Research indicates that mindful eating can really contribute to weight management. It does this by fostering a heightened awareness of hunger and fullness cues, reducing overeating, and promoting a healthier relationship with food.
09:35 - 10:18 Speaker 1: So basically having a connection with our body and noticing our body's feedback rather than being distracted by the phone, some other random thought or a mental game you're playing with yourself. Or like me, berating yourself because you think what you're eating shouldn't be what you were eating right in that moment. So the second 1 is our digestive health. Mindful eating has actually been associated with improved digestion. By learning to slow down and savour each bite, we can experience better digestion, reduce discomfort and enhance nutrient absorption.
10:19 - 10:53 Speaker 1: Let's face it, what we eat, we want to get the most out of what we eat. Now the third 1 is emotional wellbeing. Research suggests that Practicing mindfulness while eating can positively impact emotional well-being. By cultivating a non-judgmental awareness of thoughts and feelings related to food, we may be able to reduce emotional eating and develop healthier coping mechanisms. Yes, thank you mindfulness.
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0:53 - 11:24 Speaker 1: This is the journey that I've been on. And let's face it, I'm still learning to conquer different aspects and different triggers that are surfacing. Now, the fourth 1 we're looking at today is blood sugar regulation. Preliminary research indicates that mindful eating can play a role in managing blood sugar levels. The practice encourages a more balanced and thoughtful approach to food choices, potentially benefiting those with diabetes, prediabetes, or metabolic syndrome.
11:30 - 11:54 Speaker 1: 5. Stress reduction. Mindfulness practices, including mindful eating, have been linked to reduce stress levels. By approaching meals with a calm and present mind, we may be able to mitigate stress-related eating patterns and enhance overall resilience to stress. Now the thing is when we're stressed blood flow is shunted.
11:54 - 12:25 Speaker 1: Blood flow and energy moves away from the process of digestion and is used up in the stress response. This I go into actually I have like a whole module in Mindful Eating Mindset and Metabolism Mastery just on stress. Now actually this is the last 1 and the best 1. Mindful eating can enhance our enjoyment of food. Let's face it, most of us besides general daily nourishment, we actually look for pleasure out of food.
12:26 - 13:24 Speaker 1: So, mindful eating emphasises savoury in each bite and helps us foster a deeper appreciation for all the beautiful richness, flavours and textures of the food we eat. Research also suggests that people who engage in mindful eating may experience greater enjoyment of their meals and this overall leads to a more satisfying experience with food. These research-backed insights may emphasise the transformative power of being present and intentional in our relationship with food and show how the benefits extend far beyond eating itself. Everyone and anyone can count calories, right? But do you know how to overcome the tight grips of the urge to overeat?
13:24 - 13:57 Speaker 1: Or how to overcome emotional eating? Or take the steps to recover from binge eating problems? Mindful eating can really help manage our mind and our behaviour relating to all of these behaviours. Now, a quick little recap before I invite you to explore this week's action step. Mindful eating can help us tune in to our body's own wisdom about what, when and how much to eat.
13:58 - 14:52
Speaker 1: I always say Wisdom needs a little space to surface. And when we're rushing around all the time and we're moving from 1 thing to the other, we don't give this wisdom or this connection to our intuitive or our higher self any time at all to surface and speak. Mindful eating also allows us to eat less while feeling fully satisfied. It helps us identify our habits and our patterns with food. Now if you listen to our last episode, I explained how quite often food is an effect rather than a cause, but we focus on a problem, of our overweight problem or our overeating problem, but we focus on the food rather than the cause.
14:52 - 15:28 Speaker 1: Just like at the beginning of this show today, my story, it was like, well, food, I thought was the problem, right? Food and my willpower. But what my problem was really was my lack of strategy strategies to balance my stress and I would have done anything not to feel my emotions I I didn't know the beautiful art of welcoming emotions. All I knew was how to suppress them, right? And look, that can help us when we have strong emotions that we don't know what to do with.
15:28 - 16:05 Speaker 1: But long-term, Stuffing down emotions, it affects our physical, mental, and emotional health. So mindful eating helps to identify some of the root causes of our habits and patterns, our food behaviors I call it. And mindful eating also helps us develop a more compassionate attitude towards our own struggles with eating. Like rather than sitting there and just berating yourself like I did, like Larissa, you're such an idiot, you have no willpower, you're never going to be able to do this. You might be able to add to that list, right?
16:05 - 17:04 Speaker 1: And so can I, that is not an exhaustive list of some of the awful things I've said to myself over the years, but I'm in recovery from smack talk to myself? And I wish that many of us stop bullying ourselves. Mindful eating isn't about perfection, but it's about cultivating awareness and fostering a healthy connection with the nourishment we provide with our bodies. Whether you are seeking weight management, emotional wellbeing or just simply a more enjoyable dining experience, the practice of mindfulness has shown its potential to make a meaningful difference. I invite you to start taking more notice through the next week of how you relate to food, what you're doing when you eat, and what you're thinking about.
17:05 - 17:59 Speaker 1: Consider incorporating small mindful eating practices in your daily routine. So whether it's savoring the flavors a little bit more, tuning in and listening to your body's hunger cues or being present with each bite, these simple steps can pave the way for a more fulfilling and balanced relationship with food. If you feel this gentle little pull of wanting to discover more and immerse yourself into the world of allowing mindfulness to transform your relationship with eating, thinking, feeling and even how you relate to your body. Consider popping over to the information page on my Mindful Eating, Mindset and Metabolism Mastery course. Now what I'll do is I'll pop the link in the show notes or you can visit everydayinspiration.co forward slash eat mindful.
18:00 - 18:43 Speaker 1: This is an 8 week, just go at your own pace, transformative course diving into mindful eating to enhance your health and relationship to food. It will help you in your ability to overcome cravings, stress and emotional and comfort eating and even conquering the urges to binge eat. Now, if you're not ready for any of that, you're just inquisitive and you want to learn the steps just to the eating part of mindfulness, I do a 1 hour workshop once or twice a month on the steps to mindful eating. I just call it the mindful eating masterclass and I just teach you, I call it the mindful eating cascade. It's a seven-step approach to mindful eating.
18:43 - 19:40 Speaker 1: I'll pop the link in the show notes for that 1 as well. Now, as I wrap up this episode, I encourage you just to take a moment for reflection. Consider the information I've shared today and any insights and how it resonated with your own relationship to yourself, your thoughts, feelings or food. What small intentional steps could you take to redefine your relationship with food, your health and wellbeing? Always reminding myself and everyone that working on our health is a continuous journey, it's not this 1 stop shop, it's not a destination.
19:41 - 20:13 Speaker 1: If you found value in today's discussion, please share it with someone you love or someone that might benefit. You have the chance to make a difference every day in your own life and of course the lives of others. Connect with our community online, share your thoughts and let's support each other in our mindful eating endeavors. I'll pop the link to our show notes and the Facebook discussion post, or you can find it at everydayinspiration.co forward slash podcast. This is at number 2.
20:13 - 20:37 Speaker 1: And finally, please consider subscribing to the podcast. I'd love you to leave a review and stay tuned for more episodes. Our next episode, episode 3 is an introspective healing meditation. So I can't wait to share that 1 with you next. Remember your commitment to your wellbeing is a powerful force and I'm here to support you every step of the way.
20:37 - 20:48 Speaker 1: Until next time, take a deep breath, savour the journey and embrace the opportunity to live with everyday inspiration. Your host Larissa Holes.
Thank you. You
