MINDFUL EATING

CHANTEL TANAKA

The idea of eating mindfully was a little foreign for me until recently. Getting nutrition to take care of my body and health was enough to worry about. The manner in which I delivered that food and nutrition to my body wasn’t a factor that seemed worthy of considering until I was knee-deep in university life. I started questioning the kind of lifestyle I wanted for myself. Mindful eating, or “maintaining an in-the-moment awareness of the food and drink you put into your body,” can look like one, or more of the following ways:

Pay attention to what you eat When you are on the run as a university student, grazing food and snacks may seem like the only way to get nutrition in a busy day. But often, when you only consume snacks—instead of whole meals— throughout the day, you’re less likely to consider what you are eating. If you are multitasking while you eat, for example, you hardly ever focus on the food you have in front of you. The times I have found myself mindlessly eating, I never appreciate the food’s flavours or textures, nor did I give much consideration to the variety of food I ate. Paying attention to food textures and flavours can change your experience and relationship with food. What we eat affects how we feel. If you eat food that makes you feel good about your health, you’re more likely to have some pep in your step. Conversely, there are foods that make you feel guilty about yourself. Guilt isn’t a feeling you want to associate with your food because it doesn’t only weigh on you, it’s also really hard to shake off.

Eat slowly Besides trying not to choke on your food, eating slowly allows you to savour the textures, smells and flavours of your food. Taking time to enjoy your meal helps establish your food palette because you put your focus on enjoyment. Eating slowly also gives you a sense of satiety because when you take time with your food, it won’t feel like it all just went through you.

Variety, variety, variety! Living in a cosmopolitan environment comes with the benefit of trying different types of foods from different cultures. When you are working with a constrained student budget, expanding your food palette can mean you aren’t eating the same quick cheap meal every day. Try devoting some time to sample a new recipe just once a week to keep your senses engaged. Adding variety to your meals doesn’t always have to be an expensive ordeal, either; it could be as simple as incorporating food from each of the four food groups.

Eat at a table Although not much scientific research has gone into the psychology behind eating at a table versus not, nutritionists suggest that eating at a table can have a profound effect on the way you relate to food as an individual. I find that the times I have sat down and had a meal at the table either by myself or with my family and friends, my focus on the food felt greater because being situated there seemed to push the chaos of the day away from me. That effect is even greater when you commit to not having any devices at the table. It allows you to be fully present. I don’t mean to throw shade to the open lounging area in front of the tv that can entertain you while you are eating, or make you not feel constrained to an area, but the real enjoyment of food is always there when it’s all that you have to focus on.

There are other ways of tackling the idea of mindful eating, but as a college student spinning different plates at the same time, having at least one meal you look forward to eating in a present manner can shift your outlook on food. Food is not just there to feed and fuel your nutrition. It can be pleasurable. It can be satisfying. It can be enjoyable without dreading the pending calorie intake when you make the conscious effort to view it in a way that it is a beneficial lifestyle change.