A fellow student sent me a short recap of her weekend and it brought to the forefront a reminder for me to tell myself and all of you to slow down when you eat – slow down your life just 10 minutes a day.
Do you eat with so much hurried tension that you literally have a clenched fist? If so you’re not alone. What this student describes is NOT unusual.
She wrote …
Made me actually step back and evaluate the way I view a meal and food. They are in their 70’s and still very proper and pray before every meal. A meal for them is a time to sit and appreciate their food and enjoy good conversation. I am, however, an inhaler lol. I’m always in a hurry to eat and get on to the next thing. I was, of course, done with my entire meal the first night before they finished their salads. Urghh! embarrassing to say the least. I know that i have noticed in the past that I have had my left hand clenched in a fist so tight during “feeding time” that I have imprints in the palms of my hands from my nails! So this to me is a challenge to slow down during meals and actually taste and enjoy the food I’m eating.
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Nice – yes, slowing down while you eat, becoming more mindful of the time you eat is a great practice to engage in. I know the clenched fist. Relaxing, enjoying, savoring, slowing down, not just at the dinner table but in other areas of life will be a plus.
I’d love to see you practice mindfulness (meditation) 10 mins a day for 10 days and see what you think. This site has a free 10-min/day 10 day plan and it’s good. There are others. http://www.getsomeheadspace.com If you seriously couldn’t take 10 mins a day there’d be something wrong. It’s about slowing down and becoming more in the moment.
Slowing down, becoming more focused on being present can help you feel better – that translates into better behaviors – this translates into faster, easier weight loss.