Written by: Anna Lawrence, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Are you waking up exhausted and struggling to get through the day feeling focused and energized?
Chronic fatigue is becoming more and more common with countless root causes and no definitive answers. Throughout my training, as a Chopra certified Ayurvedic health instructor, I have discovered many easy, natural practices to boost energy levels and manage fatigue. One of them is mindful eating – read on to learn about 8 mindful eating tips for more energy!
You’ve probably heard about mindful eating recently on a health and wellness blog, TikTok or Instagram. But what is mindful eating and where is the hype coming from? Essentially, how will mindful eating benefit YOU?
Mindful eating is the act of eating and preparing your food with mindful awareness. The daily grind can make it that much harder to stay in the present moment in everything you do. You already have so much on your plate figuratively, how can you find the time to be present with the food that is literally on your plate? Ayurveda believes that mindfulness should not stop and start when you are eating your meal, but that mindfulness should be initiated when you begin to prepare the meal and continue throughout the digestive process.
Now you may be thinking, what is Ayurveda and what does it have to do with mindful eating? Ayurveda is the oldest healing system and originated in India over 5,000 years ago. A sister science to Yoga, Ayurveda views health as more than just the absence of disease, but a state of being that is whole, balanced, and joyful.
A vital part of health from an Ayurvedic perspective is digestion. Queue – mindful eating. According to Ayurveda, while it is extremely important what you eat, it is also important how you eat and prepare it. When you are locked into the present moment and the sensations that occur, you can extract the most nourishment from your meal.
Some profound benefits of mindful eating are strengthened digestion, more energy, better sleep, improved mind-body connection, and more trust in your intuition.
During my Ayurvedic Health training with Chopra, I learned about 8 basic principles of mindful eating and preparing, and am going to share them with you!
1. Prepare your environment
To encourage effective digestion, prioritize eating in a calm environment without distractions or stressors. When the TV and music are off and the phone and reading are put away, you allow yourself to be more in tune with your body and its hunger cues – this helps avoid overeating and allows you to fully enjoy & properly digest your meal.
2. Be aware of your hunger cues
Many people grew up eating each meal at a designated time and were required to finish everything on their plate, even if they didn’t like it or they were full. Learn to check in with your satiation levels and say “no” when you are satisfied or not hungry. Eating when you are full is like trying to put more clothes in a suitcase that can barely shut. Be sure to fully digest before you rush into your next meal – typically 3-4 hours to complete the digestion process.
3. Avoid eating when emotional discomfort is present
Eating is not the best way to deal with emotional discomfort. Avoid any intense conversations during mealtime and if you need to calm your nerves, try going for a walk, drinking some water, or doing a short meditation. Once you are calm, ask yourself if you are hungry before you decide to eat again.
4. Sit down and slow down
Adding on to the fast-paced lives most people are living now, Ayurveda emphasizes the importance of sitting down at a table when you eat (no, driving does not count!) and slowing down to be present for the meal. By eating at a table, you are letting your body know that it is time to eat and focus on eating – fire up that digestion. By slowing down, you allow yourself to taste each unique flavor and feel all of the textures of the food. Chewing 30 times also helps out your digestive process and makes the nourishment more available to you.
5. Be grateful
Practice gratitude for your food and everything that needed to happen to bring it to your table – the farmers and harvesters, the truck driver, the grocery store workers, and you for preparing it.
6. Limit ice cold drinks and food during mealtime
Ayurveda talks about the importance of digestive fire or Agni in Sanskrit. Consuming ice-cold food and drinks during mealtime is an effective way to douse your digestive fire and make it hard to properly digest the rest of your meal. If you enjoy cold foods and drinks, make sure they are 30 minutes before or after a meal, preferably in the summer.
7. Choose fresh as much as possible
Fresh, organic, whole foods are the ones to be favored. Choosing to make the food at the same time you will be eating will also increase the level of nourishment and vitality you absorb from the meal. Avoid eating leftovers, takeout, frozen, canned, or microwaved foods. But life happens, so when you do prepare your food in one of these ways, you can always add some fresh veggies!
8. Quietly tune into your body after a meal and then go for a short walk
Sit quietly with your body and any sensations and thoughts that may come up at the end of your meal. Notice how your body feels and responds to the food you prepared and ate. Finish with a short walk or lay on your left side to aid digestion.
Phew, now take a breath! I know that was a lot of information about mindful eating, but don’t worry – you don’t have to apply it all right now. Start small. Pick one meal a week or a day to practice mindfully eating. Pick one of these basic principles during that mealtime and try it on for size. Slowly add on from there.
I want to hear from you – why do you want to eat more mindfully, or how are you already practicing mindful eating?
For more tips on healing naturally, Ayurveda, and how to manage fatigue, check out my social media and website! Be sure to download my FREE mini-ebook on naturally boosting your energy levels and managing fatigue using Ayurvedic practices. For any questions, email me at coaching@anna-lawrence.com.
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Anna Lawrence, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Anna Lawrence is a certified Chopra Health (Ayurveda) and Primordial Sound Meditation Instructor, as well as a Total Well-Being Coach. In 2017, Anna was diagnosed with Hashimotos, an auto-immune disease, and dealt with chronic fatigue, digestive issues, and fear of never feeling like herself again. The daily fatigue and digestive issues got in the way of accepting a full-time offer at her ski instructing job, and doctors told her she would never be able to eat wheat or dairy again. Anna realized that her health was preventing her from living the full life she always wanted, so she sought out a solution. In 2021, she completed the Chopra teacher & coach training programs and her whole life shifted. When she learned about the Ayurvedic healing system, she realized how out of balance her mind-body system was and how that imbalance was the source of her dis-ease. She has always been passionate about natural healing and wants to help other fatigued female entrepreneurs regain their energy naturally and find balance in their life through Ayurveda.
