So, how much of your thoughts are about food?
When eating and stress become synonymous, food becomes less about refueling and more about relieving anxiety. Fear, worry, boredom or depression are thoughts that can become a full-time preoccupation!
How much of your thoughts are about food?
I often hear my clients say “I think about food all day long, it’s the only thing that makes me happy“.
We think too much about food because we are either not eating enough from following a restrictive diet, overeating for emotional reasons, or refueling.
I also struggle with thinking too much about food because it releases the emotional stress I feel. I start thinking about food to organize what to eat for lunch or dinner early in the day. I decide whether I have those foods in my house or if I need to go shopping. Sometimes, I become preoccupied that I must get more food!
Does this happen for you?
Dr. Zindel Siegel, a clinical psychologist and a co-founder of Mindfulness Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, studied that we have over 70,000 thoughts that go through our head every day yet, only 2% are real.
That’s a lot of thoughts going through your head each day! No wonder its confusing to figure out what you’re feeling or need?
How do you weed out the fact from fiction?
Brian Wainsink, author of “Mindless Eating: Why we eat more than we think”, found in his research, that the average person makes well over 200 decisions about food every day, out of these 200-plus food decisions, most we are not aware of and cannot really explain. Besides being influenced by the media and surrounded by millions of food options around us 24/7, most of our thoughts are subconscious!
When eating and stress become synonymous, we lose context to how we approach food and result to eating unconsciously. Emotions are very powerful and contribute to negative thoughts that take us to dark places. Yet as Segal says, they are just thoughts! Being present to the process of eating is much more a solution than filling your stomach up too quickly and feeling worse afterwards. This often leads to bloating, gas, feeling overstuffed, constipated and emotional shame.
This is where mindful eating comes in…. observing the signals between the mind and body.
Mindful eating is an embodied practice of observing your actions, thoughts, feelings, and motivations to cultivate awareness, satisfaction and health. It promotes a connection to body and enjoyment of your food experience. Its based on Buddhist practices of acceptance, non-judgement, compassion and curiosity.
Join me each month for a virtual Eating Mindfully Together on the last Monday of the month at 7pm. Here we explore new ways to redesign your eating mindfully.
Monday June 26th at 7pm
Topic: Eating as a source of renewal vs emotion!
We chat, meditate, play, eat, and discover how “being” versus “thinking” connects the mind and body to nourish your relationship with food.
The benefits of mindful eating improves digestion, supports brain function, and reduces inflammation. a primary benefit is the ritual of tapping into the senses that initiates feel good sensations slowing down your approach to food..
Eating Mindfully Together is based on selections from FEED THE BRAIN: A mindful eating approach to nourishing the body, heart, and mind.
Ongoing Activities During the Summer
Practice Together: Every Tuesday at 6pm and Wednesdays at 9am
Every Tuesday, we practice somatic and qigong movement, breath awareness and meditation in community with others. Our mindful, gentle movement practice is adapted for participants in attendance.
This is a virtual class, please join us with an open mind. You are invited to bring friends, family or colleagues.
A regular meditation practice shared with people. enhances the brain’s neural networks “neurons wired together, fire together” promoting positive habits.
Somatic Movement Thursdays at 10am
Join me for ongoing somatic movement sessions to relieve stress in the body. Somatic movement is a system of neuromuscular movement awareness practice and education. This work teaches us to recognize and release holding patterns and chronic pain resulting from injury, stress, repetitive strain, and habituated postures. CONTACT ME AT wellness@raniglick.com to find out more.
I love hearing from you1 Contact me with any questions or thoughts at wellness@raniglick.com
My best in health,
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