4 Basic Rules on How to Practice Mindful Eating

1. Slow Down: Allow at least 20 minutes for a snack and 30 minutes for a meal. By eating more slowly you allow yourself to be in the moment and appreciate the thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations of your meal!

2. Tap into your Hunger: Before starting a meal, ask yourself, “How hungry am I”? Only serve yourself enough to fill that hunger.  Continuously re-evaluate your hunger throughout the meal.

3. Eat with all 5 Senses: Before you start, look at the colors, shapes, and textures of your meal. Appreciate the different smells. While eating, notice the sounds you hear when you chew. Feel the different textures and notice every flavor in your meal! 

4. Value Your Meal: This means both choosing only healthy and nutritious foods which offer good value to your body as well as valuing food as a limited resource. Appreciate all the work it took for the food to end up on the plate in front of you!