– A common question that comes up during the journey of mindful eating is whether or not what you choose to eat is important. As far as nutrition and health, of course it does make a difference. But for the purpose of mindful eating, it isn’t nearly as important as understanding your own habits, choices, and how food makes you feel.

– Mindfulness Takes Away All Judgment About Food

– Even if you don’t realize it, you have certain judgments and preconceptions about food. Maybe you think too much sugar will cause acne, or eating processed food is “bad”, these judgments can damage your relationship with food.

– With mindful eating, you are no longer judging anything you eat. This is when those intuitive eating practices come in. The point is not to tell yourself you shouldn’t eat something, but instead to acknowledge your food choices and understand why you made them, and how you feel while eating them. That’s all there is to it.

– You Learn What You and Your Body Enjoys

-While what you eat doesn’t matter much in mindful eating, you do figure out what feels good, and what doesn’t, as it pertains to the types of foods you eat.

-It’s not about never eating a donut again, but if you tend to have a big sugar crash after a donut, and don’t feel great the rest of the day, then you know not to have a donut before a big work day. Instead, you save it for special occasions or a lazy Sunday when you don’t have much to do.

– Become More Self-Aware and Pay Attention to These Signs

– Mindfulness helps you become more self-aware and pay attention to many different signals your body sends out. This is why it doesn’t matter what you eat or even how much, as long as you are aware of what your body is telling you.

– The hardest part in the beginning is telling the difference between your mind’s influence and your body’s influence. In your mind, you have labels for food, even though your body might not have any problem with that food. This is the distinction you want to focus on as you work through your mindful eating journey.

– Let Yourself Eat What You Want While Seeking Clarity

– Go ahead and allow yourself to eat whatever sounds good at the time, but remain completely aware during the entire eating process. Make notes of any changes you noticed or something that comes up while eating, whether it is good or bad.

– Dear readers, I think seriously that what we eat matters because our weight and our size totally depend on it. So, take care to select what you eat!

– Anne-Vasthi