Eating Mindfully

Remembering to Flourish is a call to action to live a life aware of the need to not only be intentional about finding fulfillment in our lives, but to also engage in practices that facilitate flourishing. I have identified twelve practices for flourishing. Here I will introduce the fourth practice.

Recall: (Practice) Eating Mindfully

Recharge: (devotion) Have you ever eaten something so fast, that you didn’t even taste what you ate or even remembered that you ate something? I know I have, especially when I have been stressed or I am eating my feelings. Eating mindfully is an invitation to slow down, think about what and how we eat, taste and enjoy what we eat, and to thank God for what we are eating.

Just as water (see hydrating fully) is vital for life and flourishing, so is eating food. Generally, we need to consume about 2,000 calories a day. And, as with so many things, quality matters. As the saying goes, “you are what you eat.” God has given us a wide variety of food to eat and enjoy. God’s word encourages us to enjoy the food we eat.  “So eat your meals heartily, not worrying about what others say about you – you’re eating to God’s glory, after all, not to please them.” (I Cor.10:31 MSG). When we take the time to think about what we are eating, we glorify God. When slow down and savor every bite of food, we glorify God. When we choose foods that will nourish our bodies with the nutrients it needs to thrive, we glorify God. When we eat mindfully, we glorify God.

Reflect:(journal prompt) When you consume meals or snacks, is the process more mindful or more mindless? Are there items you are eating that you feel bad about consuming when you have finished eating them? What needs to change?

Rehearse: (affirmation) I will think before I eat. Today, I will eat mindfully.

Refill: (prayer) Lord, I’m going to be honest, I love food! Maybe not always the cooking part, but certainly the eating part. I sometimes eat foods that I regret eating later because it wasn’t the healthiest option or I ate mindlessly. Help me not to eat while worried or to worry about what I eat. Help me to eat mindfully and to always eat to your glory. With every meal and every snack, may I be grateful for your provision. In Jesus’ name, amen.