Eating mindfully...

Busy, busy, busy...too busy to eat properly, too busy to cook healthfully, too busy to plan meals......or are we? Too often we fall into that pitfall of excuses..."I would but I'm just too busy..."

But if you have a stroke..(brought on by stress , obesity , high blood pressure , diabetes or smoking) and take awhile to recover fully...you will have all the time in the world to do those things you should have been doing to begin with. Let's start making excuses about why I have to do something right for myself! Let's take the time to listen to our bodies when it comes to eating mindfully.

Listening to your natural hunger signals might take some practice. Too often we have been programmed to eat at 12 noon because that is when school or our jobs tell us we have to. Whether you prefer 3 main meals or 6 mini-meals, is entirely up to you. The important thing to remember is correctly identify the hunger signal.

Listening to your body requires practice and patience. One good way to learn your body's signals is to take a day where you are not required to eat on schedule (such as a weekend), stay away from clocks and only eat when you feel your stomach growling. Now you know what a true hunger signal is. Be aware of how you were feeling prior to the 'growling' beginning. You want to learn to eat when your body is in the early stage of hungry....not so ravenous that you make poor choices out of desperation.

When you do eat, start with smaller than usual servings of a balanced diet, stop occasionally to decide if you are full or not. Remember that it takes time for the signal to get from your stomach to your head to notify you that you're full.

If you find that you have eaten a large amount of food and shortly after feel 'hungry' again....ask yourself first if you ate a balanced meal? If not, your body might be asking for a particular nutrient....rarely fulfilled by eating chocolate! Ask yourself what else is going on around you? Are you eating because everyone else is? Are you sad? Are you mad? Are you bored? Have a big glass of water first, that will give you a chance to decide if you are hungry or emotional.

We are really never to busy to take care of ourselves once we decide to make it a priority. Take time to eat mindfully before your health issues choose for you!