Faith-based mindful eating can have a positive impact on our stress levels, our gut health, and even our body weight (although weight loss is a benefit, I talk in my books about why I try not to focus on weight loss). Since mindful eating has a positive impact on our gut health and may have the ability to help with stress, mindful eating may also indirectly reduce the risk of chronic disease as well. And with mindful eating, we get to enjoy our food every time we eat!
For me, faith-based mindful eating was even more impactful than just mindful eating alone. Faith-based mindful eating gives us the opportunity to focus on God’s presence, feel gratitude for God’s gift of food, and rest our brain! We get to have mini mindfulness moments with God EVERY. TIME. WE. EAT!
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Use these steps below to get started with faith-based mindful eating.
Steps to Faith-Based Mindful Eating
Step 1: Preparing your Food
When preparing, avoid mindlLESSly tasting and nibbling while you are cooking. Instead focus on the joy of cooking. When you are sautéing vegetable, for example, focus simply on stirring your vegetable. Notice the color of the food, the feeling of the spoon in your hand, and the way the food swirls in the skillet. Think of all the beautiful nourishment in the food you are creating, and thank God for the food and the opportunity to create something delicious and nourishing.
Step 2: Plating your Food
When plating your food, be conscious of how much you are plating. PAUSE and ask yourself is this a reasonable amount of food? Think about a nourishing satisfying plate vs. an over-the-top plate. How does your plate compare? Before sitting down, PAUSE to make sure you were not mindlessly piling on the food. Remember, pausing is the major piece to the mindful eating process. Enjoy the process of plating your food.
Step 3: Eating your Food
Remember to sit down and eat from a plate. Before putting a bite in your mouth, PAUSE. Really notice the food. Thank God for this time to enjoy your food. Notice the color, textures, and smells before your first bite. Continue to do this for every bite. This is your chance to decompress and enjoy your food. Let go of the stresses of the day and focus on the bite of food in your mouth. Put your fork down between each bite. Prepare the next bite after you have swallowed and taken a sip of drink. Take a sip of drink between each bite. During the meal, PAUSE occasionally to notice if you are full and ask yourself questions.
Ask questions like “Am I full?”; “How does this bite taste?”; “Am I enjoying my food?” Asking these questions helps you stay mindfully aware throughout the meal. You will be surprised at how full and satisfied you will be on the appropriate amount of food for your body. The key is pausing before you put food into your mouth. Listen to your body.
Learn more about Faith-Based Mindful Eating
Try these three steps to having a faith-based mindful eating experience now. You can find more in-depth faith-based mindful eating strategies in 18 Weeks to a Healthier, Happier, More Purposeful Life.
This article is written by Lacy Ngo, a dietitian nationally recognized as a top expert in faith-based mindfulness and evidence-based nutrition. She shares the exact steps that, based on science, produce the most dramatic health and weight loss success in her book, 18 Weeks to a Healthier, Happier, More Purposeful Life. This book is like nothing you have ever seen before. It combines faith and science. Both are crucial when it comes to producing real change because real change involves the mind, body, and spirit.
Lacy Ngo, MS, RDN, the owner of Mindfulness in Faith, LLC, is one of the top experts in faith-based mindfulness and nutrition. Ngo is the author of several books including 18 weeks to a Healthier, Happier, More Purposeful Life, The Nourishing Meal Builder, The Nourishing Meal Builder: the Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Edition, Faith, Mindfulness, & Nutrition, and Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals.
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