Bringing Mindfulness to our Diet and Food in the New Year
by Julie Hutsell, L.Ac
I have had a life-long love affair with food. My life revolves around food and my next meal. I love to eat. In our society, there are so many experts telling us about what is healthy, and what is not, that after a while it becomes hopelessly confusing. Even I, despite my food passions, went through a phase where I was afraid to eat anything, because it seemed like it was the wrong thing or the wrong time to eat it. That is when I knew I had to make some changes in how I approached food, because the joy had gone.
Life is short, and food is one thing that we have to consume on a daily basis so why not make every meal a pleasurable and mindful experience? The goal is to enjoy food, get the most nourishment and satisfaction from it as we possibly can, and feel good about our choices.
What does it mean to bring consciousness to food and diet? I’m talking about understanding the consequences of our food choices. This is not referring to how many calories you are ingesting, or how many carbs… it’s all about the quality of the food.
Recently one of my patients asked me to describe what I eat, and how I shop so that he could do the same. The basic premise that I follow when shopping is: Eat real food. Choose fresh, whole foods rather than processed foods. Buy whole grains from the bulk-bins instead of packaged and pre-cooked pastas or rice. Butter is a million times better for you than margarine. Sugar is much better than artificial sweeteners, and less-refined sugars are even better than white sugar. Try to know and understand the sources of the food you eat. What are the ingredients? Where did they come from? By supporting smaller, more local establishments we are not only helping to support the local economy, we are also more-than-likely feeding ourselves better, and being kinder and gentler on the environment.
A few years ago, I read The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan. His quest in the book is to find a way to have a clear conscience when eating—and he finds it. I found it very thought-provoking. He recently wrote another book called In Defense of Food- A Food Lover’s Manifesto, based on much of the research he did while writing The Omnivore’s Dilemma. Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle is also an excellent read. She writes of her family’s experiment of moving to a farm in Virginia where they endeavored to eat solely from what they were able to produce on their land. It’s a fascinating, funny, and inspiring book. All three of these books have helped me evolve my vision of food-based mindfulness.
Gardening has also made me more mindful. Last year, for the first time, I had the opportunity to help cultivate a vegetable and herb garden. I saw first-hand the life-cycle of plants; we grew almost all of them from seed. We harvested the ripe vegetables and herbs, and tasted the bountiful, deliciousness of food fresh from the earth. The garden provided so much abundance, it was remarkable. The food we ate was so wonderful—so fresh and so healthy—you could feel the nutrients in every single bite.
From these experiences, I have come to conclusions that allow me to shop and eat mindfully. I buy eggs from a local farm that uses humane practices in raising its chickens. I buy dairy products that are organic, local when possible, and from pasture-raised cows whenever possible. I choose organic, but more importantly locally grown, pesticide-free veggies and fruits that are in season. I forego the hydroponic tomatoes in the winter, and instead choose sweet potatoes from a local farm. I buy pastured meat from local farms where the animals are never fed antibiotics and growth hormones, and where they are allowed to graze in the grass freely all their lives.
This year you can do many little things to bring mindfulness to your food and to your life. Enjoy your meals—make time for them. Plant yourself a little garden. Take a walk in the farmers’ market one weekend and try to go there on a more regular basis. Visit a local farm. Join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) for fresh veggies during the growing season. Commit to eating real food and you can change your health and your lives for the better.
You may arrive at some different conclusions on your quest for mindfulness this year, and that is WONDERFUL. I challenge you to bring mindfulness to your food. Your body and mind will thank you for it, and you will feel better than you already do. I promise!