Mindful Eating + Food Allergy Awareness

What is mindful eating, and how on Earth is it applicable to someone with food allergies?

Simply put, mindful is prioritizing your awareness so that your focus is only on what you are eating and the experience of eating. The purpose of mindful eating is to teach you how to tune into your body. It also aides in digestion and stress management while allowing you to make improvements to your eating habits.

There are many different tools to help you eat mindfully. Check these out!:

• When you first get your food, take a minute to smell the aroma and visually take it in. Continue to use those senses throughout your meal.

• Take a bite, but really think about evaluating the flavors. Notice how the flavors change (or don’t) with each bite.

• Chew slowly and more! Let’s not gulp down our food, folks. Try to chew each bite around 32 times for optimal digestion and to assist with your mindfulness.

• Get rid of distractions. You want to be able to appreciate the food that you’re eating. Sometimes doing that in front of the TV or at your computer prevents that from happening. Instead, try to have your meals with family or friends or take a few minutes to enjoy your meal while reading or having some down time at the kitchen table.

• Tune into your body. What messages is your body sending you? Are you starting to feel full? Does the food actually taste good to you? Is this food making you feel good?

• Show gratitude. Think about how fortunate you are to be able to nourish your body with healthy food. Think about the hard work it took to get that food onto your plate. Fill yourself up with food and gratefulness with each bite.

After checking out all of the tools, did you notice the potential interplay between mindful eating and food allergies? It all comes down to focusing on your food. Look at labels before you eat or feed someone with food allergies to ensure safety. Think about the food you or your loved one is about to eat and evaluate potential cross-contact and unsafe ingredients.

Even when trying new foods that are on your “safe list,” it is a good idea to implement a mindfulness practice. When you start to eat, listen to what your body is telling you. In cases of minor reactions or when a severe reaction is building, you want to pay attention to the body’s signals.

Try starting small and slowly. Look at your food, smell it and then put it up to your lips. Zone into any signs your body may send you. Are your lips tingling? Does it smell unappetizing? Make eating a purposeful progression and stop to check in with yourself (or food allergy sufferer) before each step.

Of course, this will not always work and cannot be used in place of doctor’s orders or medical diagnoses. But it can be useful in learning about your body is reacting to foods you believe to be outside of your food allergy zone.

To sum things up, eating mindfully is yet another tool for us, food allergy fam.