Waking Up at Your Plate

by Nicole Ohebshalom

What I am about to share with you is a new way of approaching your meals.  This is not a diet with tons of rules, recipes, and menus.  If you have tried every diet under the sun, like I have, then this could be so refreshing!

The way you eat, just like the way you live your life, says a lot about you.  Do you eat when you are full and feel bloated?  Do you deprive yourself when you are on a diet?  Do you eat mindlessly on junk food just because they are available?   Right now, I am less interested in what you eat, than how you eat.  If you want to create a healthy substantial diet then you need to begin with your unique relationship with food.

I have been here myself.  During final exams in college I was surrounded with more foods than textbooks.  The food calmed my nerves and I tuned out to what and how I was eating at that moment.  I have changed my way of looking at food and created a new appreciation.

Would you like to start changing the way you eat?  Find the enjoyment in all foods and make eating one of the enjoyable parts of your life. Can’t think of any ideas? I’ve given you a great tip below to begin!

Choose one consecutive meal a day to be your Awareness Meal.  Most of my clients choose Breakfast as their meal because it allows them to be more mindful during the day.  This is the meal that you are going to pay attention to you and your meal.  If you usually eat at your desk or in the car, then try eating at a table where you won’t be distracted.  If you are a mother that is juggling a baby and yourself, then stepping away for 5 minutes might be the perfect beginning.

This exercise is to be in the present moment of pleasure within yourself when you are eating a meal.

1. To begin: take 3 deep breaths to calm yourself and disconnect to what you need to do or what you were doing.  This meal is for you to relax and be in pleasure using your five senses.
2. Before you eat ask yourself: how does the food smell? What are the colors on the plate?
3. While you are eating: How does the food taste? What are the different textures? What do you enjoy? What do you not enjoy? Are you still breathing? Are you full or can you place your fork down?

Nicole Ohebshalom is the owner of Radiant Living Wellness which offers programs to address weight and health concerns, increase energy levels, or simply to help clients eat better. A firm believer in the power of balance, Nicole is also a Kundalini Yoga Instructor. To learn more about Nicole and her services, visit Radiant Living Wellness.