Where does our food come from and how does it get to our plate? We have become so in drenched in the fast paced lifestyle we lead, we don’t have a moment to spare, let alone contemplate the food we eat, where it comes from, how it was prepared and the amount we are eating. An ideal world would be conscious of all these elements of life and food.
Mindful eating is all about paying full attention to the food we eat and experience. It is about paying attention to the textures, colours, smells and flavours of our foods and acknowledging how this food makes our bodies feel, as well as when we are full, when we are hungry and when we are just satisfied. It is about being completely aware, moment to moment.
Buddhism practices the theory of ‘being in the moment’. This concept encourages people to be aware of the experience of eating and of paying full attention to the sensation of each morsel of food. The theory encompasses the idea that sitting for a meal should not rely on an external fix, but rather, being able to sit with our own company. Hence, it is about being completely aware of the food that is being consumed, where it comes from and its ingredients.
It is important to ask ourselves, do I need this, for what purpose am I eating this? Is my body wanting this or am eating as a way of relieving my stress? It is also important to consider where the food has come from. Cental to our thinking about food should also be how the choices we make each day affect our health and the world around us. Mindful eating incorporates an understanding of our healh and the health of our planet.
