MindFit-Mindful Pause-Intuitive Eating

There is often a connection between food and our emotions. We’ve learned that food can satisfy numerous needs other than basic bodily nourishment. Practice pausing, reflecting and interrupting urge to eat when it doesn't match your current needs.

Transcript

Mind-Fit Meditation There is often a connection between food and our emotions. We've learned that food can be used to satisfy numerous needs other than our basic bodily nourishment. Eating lights up the reward system in our brain, So it is an alluring way to cope with feelings that are vulnerable or challenging. Understanding your emotions and the current function of your urge to eat allows you to pause and choose how you would like to nourish your body. Whether you want to nourish yourself through connection with other people, Taking a walk, Addressing tension with a loved one, Saying no, Having a much-needed alone time to rest. Take time to pause and practice and hone the skill of understanding your emotions, Your urge to eat, And your experience. Let's begin the mindful pause. Place your hands on your abdomen. Deeply breathe, Pausing in the space between a thought about eating and action. Ask yourself these questions, Pausing, And imagine yourself observing this need and pausing before you eat. Do I have a hunger for connection? Am I hungry? Am I angry? Am I lonely? Am I replacing food for another important process? Am I processing my emotions through eating, Rather than expressing them directly? Am I bored? Do I need excitement? Am I eating for another person because they want to eat? Am I using food to remain alert? Do I need stimulation? Am I simply eating for the taste and ignoring physical limitations? Take another deep breath in, And exhale, Imagining yourself pausing successfully before an action to eat when your urge doesn't match your needs. If your mind has wandered, Gently bring it back to your body, Observing your bodily sensations and your emotional needs as you continue to pause on the space between urges to eat and action. Make a decision that is aligned with your current experience. If this is difficult, Remind yourself that we have opportunities to eat several times a day. Another opportunity is coming soon. Practicing this pause and interrupting emotional eating is a skill that you have the opportunity to grow several times a day. Release your hands from your abdomen. Place your hands in your lap or by your side, Turning your palms up and opening them willingly. Take one last deep breath in, And when you are ready, You can open your eyes and return your attention to what is around you.