How to Become a Conscious Eater
September 14 by Craig Harper 293 Shares | Featured, Uncategorized
Food-Ology
For many of the people I’ve mentored, coached and educated over the last two decades (yep, I’m that old), their biggest day-to-day challenge is managing their food intake in a healthy, intelligent and responsible manner. On a practical, emotional and psychological level, it’s also been one of my biggest challenges over the years. If you happen to ‘live’ somewhere on the scale between disordered eating and eating disorder, then today’s post is for you. It might be time to pay attention.
While I don’t have an eating disorder (as such), it’s fair to say that my eating has been disordered from time to time over my journey. Especially when I was a fat teenager. Who became an obsessive skinny teenager. Who became an obsessive bodybuilder in his late teens and early twenties.
Knowing Isn’t Doing
Sure, I might seem mild-mannered, measured and disciplined from the outside but not too far below the surface lives an eating machine that’s capable of caloric suicide and dietary behaviours which belie my alleged intelligence and knowledge. I keep that guy in check most of the time, but we all understand that knowing isn’t doing, so even somebody like me still has to work at being a conscious eater. Being an exercise scientist and coach doesn’t mean that I don’t have the ability to make stupid, irrational or irresponsible decisions. Or to eat my own bodyweight in cheesecake.
Nutritional Dysfunction
Many people eat unconsciously. They eat on autopilot. They eat what they don’t need. Every day. And then they (strangely) wonder why they’re fat. And unhealthy. They eat processed crap. They eat socially. They eat because it’s expected. Because it’s there. Because it’s free (wouldn’t want to waste anything). They eat emotionally. Reactively. They reward themselves with food. And their children too. Sometimes they bribe (motivate, manipulate, control) their kids with food. “If you do… (insert task)… I’ll take you to McDonalds for dinner”. Awesome parenting! They fantasise about food. Lie about it. They eat to ease the pain. To give themselves instant physical pleasure. To numb out. To escape. To fit in. To forget.
And then when they’re finished, they hate themselves all over again. Until the next episode. And the cycle continues.
What is Conscious Eating?
“Conscious eating is giving our body the nutrition it needs for optimal health, function and energy. Nothing more or less.”
Simple huh? In theory anyway. If only we lived in the theory – we’d all be freakin’ amazing. So, what’s the most conscious and responsible question you and I can ask in relation to our eating habits?
“Why am I eating this?”
If our answer is not “because I need it” then we’re eating unconsciously. Irresponsibly. Emotionally. When we eat consciously, our body, mind and emotions are all working in harmony.
Drug of Choice
For many people, food has become their drug of choice. Their medication. Their refuge. And don’t think I’m being melodramatic when I use the term drug. Food is indeed mood altering. It can produce high highs and low lows. It can be addictive and destructive. Over time, we might need more of it to produce the same ‘high’ or feeling. It affects our nervous system. And our endocrine system. It (like other drugs) produces biochemical changes. Emotional changes. Psychological changes. It can be both life-enhancing and life-destroying. Sometimes, the distance between ‘use’ and ‘abuse’ is not far at all.
The Psychology of Overeating
Many of us were raised in a situation (environment, mindset, group-think) where eating food that we didn’t physically need (that is, consuming excess calories, salt, sugar, fat) was rationalised, explained, justified and even expected. The fact that we weren’t hungry or actually requiring food was irrelevant. We often ate because that’s what the situation, circumstance or moment dictated. And when we didn’t eat (the food we didn’t need) we were criticised. “Don’t you dare leave anything on your plate.”
No wonder we have issues.
We were trained to celebrate with excessive eating. That is, disordered eating. We were taught to overeat on certain occasions. It was the rule. Still is. Christmas, birthdays, reunions, anniversaries, engagements, New Year and Easter were (are) all legitimate times to abuse our bodies with food. Apparently. We were encouraged to over-ride the ‘full’ signal. To ignore what our body was telling us. To unbutton our pants and keep eating.
Such an intelligent species.
Justifiable Gluttony
I’m still amazed at how many people become defensive, emotional and even angry (in my presentations), when I suggest that none of us need to overeat on Christmas day (for example). Amazingly, it’s actually possible to have a great day (maybe even a better day) without having to gorge ourselves on food that our body doesn’t need. Apparently, some people can’t celebrate that way. The date (on the calendar) determines the behaviour. The notion of avoiding excess calories seems almost irrational to them. This is simply another easy-to-understand example of the dysfunctional attitudes, beliefs and expectations that so many of us have around food.
Conscious eating is about reconnecting with our body. It’s about stopping the abuse. The lies. The excuses. It’s about slowing down. It’s about paying attention. It’s about honouring and respecting the gift that is our body.
I’m not really an affirmation kinda guy (no shit Sherlock) but when it comes to this issue, I’ll make an exception.
Here’s something you might want to copy and put on your fridge (pantry, forehead) for a month or ten.
- I will not eat food I don’t need.
- I will not reward myself with food.
- I will not medicate with food.
- I will not allow situations, circumstances or other people to influence or dictate the way I eat.
- I will not rationalise poor eating.
- I will not be a food martyr; I will simply do what I need to.
- I will not lie to myself or others about my eating behaviours.
- I will not eat in secret.
- I will not repeat the mistakes of my past.
- I will not allow my mind or emotions to sabotage my physical potential.
I will eat consciously.
Great article Craig.
When it comes to conscious eating I find that eating slowly without distractions (tv, music, people) actually helps me reduce my food intake per meal.
For instance, when I watch TV and eat at the same time, I tend to eat faster and consequently I eat more :(
I, too, am cheering after reading this. My “mantras” for eating this year are:
1.) Am I hydrated?
2.) Amy I hungry?
3.) Is it healthy? (i.e., the best choice I can make nutrionally right now)
I’m hoping this helps my ‘disordered eating’ turn into conscious eating!
I’m curious, what do you believe is the healthy and mindful way to enjoy treats, such as cake, ice cream, etc. I always choose high quality sweets and desserts, since those are far healthier than the low-fat/chemical ‘diet’ sweets that are available in the market.
But still, I don’t really see anything about your opinion on how to incorporate sweets/desserts/etc into your diet. Obviously the same mindful eating philosophy applies, but it is technically poor eating. What’s your opinion? Do you not endorse any indulgences?
I try to eat smaller portions more often and that helps because then I don’t get over hungry. When I get over hungry I’m a lot more likely to eat too much because I eat fast and it takes too long to feel full.
Also I have heard from a few places that Americans often misread thirst as hunger and eat when they should have a glass of water.
I agree to an extent. What I really agree is of course is “knowing isn’t doing”. I read about a recent study showing that just by telling participants in the study not to eat in front of the television, they stopped gaining weight as compared to a control group.
On the other hand, there is a risk that these rules become to harsh and hard to follow, which will lead to all or nothing thinking, what i scientifically known as the “What the hell-effect”. This éffect is actually the basis for binge eating disorder. If foods are absolutely forbidden, once you make a small mistake (which you are bound to do) you have failed, and “What the hell, I might as well stuff myself, since I’m such a failure anyway” will take over.”
So the rules are fine, as long as they’re balanced by the idea that you don’t have to follow them all the time.
Nice article Craig,
I think it’s not enogh to say “I will not eat …” and “I will not do that…”
Please can you provide an exit strategy from that bad habit? In simple steps, like: reduce oil consumption, do not eat fried food, etc.
An excellent post that is greatly needed in America. I’ve also found that writing down my food expenditures at the end of the week has helped me cut down significantly. An extremely well-thought-out diet may be one of the best advantages of making almost no money!
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Wonderful article! Eating consciously is very important (should be introduced into the schools).
Sitting down at the table with no distractions and actually being aware of what you eat, how it tastes like, what it smells like … and most important – being aware of what that particular food does to your body.
I sometimes use visualization after I eat and visualize how the food is dissolved and absorbed by the body.
Very nice post, Craig. I have a question though: Do you think emotional eating has ANY place in our lives?
The reason I ask is because I tried a liquid, green vegetable juice cleanse earlier this summer. I’m not overweight at all; it was strictly an experiment to see if there was an energy gain with it.
I only made it two days before I had to quit, because there was such a feeling of emptiness (not physical, but emotional) when it was meal time and I couldn’t eat solid food. I was shocked; I had never ever considered that I might eat for any reason other than physical hunger.
But then I thought some more: Is this a bad thing? Perhaps it’s natural (and evolution-based) that we should associate strong emotions like comfort to being full.
Looking forward to hearing what you think.
Sometimes I feel that people want a certain food so badly, that even when it’s in their mouths they continue wanting it – and that causes them to overeat. Like, the chocolate is already in their mouths! But they still have that greed, that wanting more, that is so strong that they continue eating it without even really enjoying it! The key is to be truly present and conscious, and like you said think about your motivations for eating.
Graeme
Oriental scripture has given a wonderful Mantra – “Ahara Shuddho Sattva Shuddhi” which means if the Food(Ahara) you take is Pure(Shuddh) then the Sattva(Your Existence & Reality) also becomes Pure…which translates into Conscious Eating.I must mention here that at the spiritual level the “food intake” also means all that we absorb through our 5 senses. You may google list of Sattvic food or see wiki for “Sattvic diet”. It would definitely help if you set a reminder for this Mantra just before your eating hours
[...] How to Become a Conscious Eater (lifehack.org) [...]
Very wonderful article on how to become a conscious eater. Many of dont take keen while eating. am so happy for the pints and tips that you have shared with us