Charlene is a journey of mindful health and self-care
Posted on 12/29/2013 @ 9:52 AM
Practicing mindfulness definitely brings more enjoyment to whatever I’m eating. I’m thrilled about this because I truly love to eat. Although I can’t claim to practice it for every bite, it is absolutely my preference now. I made a pound cake the other day. I love pound cake. After dinner, I waited until I was hungry again to eat a piece so I would experience the most enjoyment from it. I gauged what size piece would leave me feeling good, and not too full, once I ate it. I put it on a nice plate. I got myself a napkin, and I sat at the table. I was ready, and the first bite was especially good because I chose the bite that looked like the very best one. It was the one with the golden brown, crunchy, top. I chewed it slowly and savored that sweet, buttery flavor. There is a clear view of our living-room television from our dining table. My husband, who is an old movie buff and who has a habit of watching snippets of classic movies, had landed on "The Godfather," one of his favorites. It was the tomato garden scene, the one in which Marlon Brando’s Godfather character is playing with his grandson. I don’t love the movie as much as my hubby does, but I must admit it captivates me too. Once the scenario played out, I returned my attention to my cake. WHAT? There were only two bites left. HOW DID THAT HAPPEN? WHO ATE MY CAKE? Darn it! I had mindlessly munched on several more bites while watching the movie, and got almost no satisfaction from them. Can you imagine how much attention I gave to those last two bites? That’s right, my full and undivided attention! And they were delicious. So, in the end I was able to walk away feeling satisfied, and I reminded myself there was plenty of cake left to eat more when I was hungry again. From now on I think I’ll sit in the chair in which my back will face the television if it is on.
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