Mindful Eating Practice

This is a practice for mindful eating

Have you ever really—and  I mean REALLY—fully  tasted your favorite food? What is the one food that is your all-time favorite, that you do not want to be without for a week or – OK, 2 weeks – at the most?

I grew up in Germany, a haven of fresh bread and baked goods. So it is pretty easy to get me into food heaven with just a slice of good fresh bread and a solid layer of organic sweet cream butter, topped with a hint of flaky salt. As simple as that! Have you ever tried that? I highly encourage you to give it a try and eat it with all your mindfulness!

Let’s practice mindful eating together, I will guide you.

Let’s start with mindfully looking at your fresh loaf of bread with gratitude before we cut into it. Recognize everything that it takes to get this wonder of baking on your table:

There is the farmer who prepared the soil for the grain. The grain surrendering itself into the soil with all the nutriments that Mother Earth provides. The the sun, the rain, and the wind all support the transformation of this tiny grain into a strong wheat plant, helping to multiply this one grain into many grains to be harvested in late summer. After the harvest it will be dried, before it goes into the mill to be ground into flour. Is your bread made of whole grain, or white flour, or a mix?

Imagine the baker getting the freshly ground flour and mixing it with clean water, salt, sourdough and/or yeast, the baker will knead it into a springy dough. After giving it time to rise and resting twice, the heat of the oven will transform the dough into this delicious loaf of bread you now hold in your hands.

Feel its shape. Is it round or oval or was it baked in an elongated shape like a French baguette? Hold this fresh loaf close to your nose and, with a deep in-breath, smell its deliciousness. Isn’t this a wonderful nourishing fragrance? Doesn’t it fill you with gratitude for all of the elements and the beings who made it possible for you to hold this bread in your hands?

Now place the loaf on a cutting board. Feel when the knife is touching the loaf. First when it is cutting the crunchy crust then the soft moist inner part of the bread. How is the quality of the bread? Is it soft lofty and airy or more dense? Does it have any nuts, seeds or herbs in it? Take in the aroma of the fresh slice.

Let’s now put some sweet cream butter on this slice and top it with a hint of flaky sea salt. If you are vegan, pour a little good organic virgin olive oil on a plate, sprinkled with a hint of sea salt, and briefly dip in your bread. In case you are not too hungry already 😉 you can continue to contemplate about the butter or olive oil and the sea salt. But if you are too hungry already, it’s ok to contemplate on the butter, olive oil and sea salt on your second bite.

Now, use all your senses when you take your first bite. Feel the crunchy crust and also hear it crackling when your teeth start grinding the crust. Recognize the difference between the crust and the soft, moist inner part of the bread. Just recognize it and stay with it. And all of a sudden you feel the creaminess of the softly melting, sweet butter or olive oil, before a hint of saltiness kicks in while. Stay with this taste and feel this soft, melting mélange of the butter, salt, and bread before you start chewing.

Do you recognize that the juices in your mouth kick in and start to flow in like a clear stream? Pay attention! This is when your body automatically starts the important first step of digesting. Observe how your tongue is moving the bread from left to right together with the mouth-watering flow of saliva. Try to chew this one bite 30 times before you swallow. Do you recognize how parts of the mashed-up food want to be swallowed when other parts are still being chewed?

Are you aware that your taste buds are on full alert now? Have you ever had such a firework of taste with such a simple meal?

With mindful eating you will recognize wonderful flavors you never before recognized, textures so crackling and crunchy, pleasantly soft and creamy, or comforting and warm.

Did you make it to 30 times of chewing? Try it again and see what happens. You really get your money’s worth in taste and nourishment, supporting your body’s digestion.  You will probably realize that even you eat less this way you feel nourished and fully satisfied much sooner. All this is available to you, right here in the present moment with your fresh loaf of bread.