Book Review: Eating Mindfully

Check out this book by Susan Albers, PsyD. She was one of the first researchers to look at mindfulness as it relates to eating. She provides “skill builders” throughout the book offering actionable steps to something that often feels more abstract.

These skill builders are exercises in mindful eating to help focus attention on different aspects of being mindful while eating. Here’s a sensory intense skill builder example.

Take a handful of raisins or nuts and do the following:

• Hold them in your hand. Consider, what do they look like? Do they have a shell or skin? How do they feel? Are they rough or smooth? Are they heavy or light? Is your mouth watering in anticipation of eating them?
• Hold them to your nose. Do they have a strong smell? Does the smell make you think of anything? Another food? An event or memory?
• Put a couple of them in your mouth but don’t bite them. Are they salty, sweet, bitter, or sour? Is the texture the same as when you held them in your hand?
• Bite into them. Are they crunchy or juicy? Did the flavor change?

Eating in a way that allows you to experience all of the food qualities helps to better align hunger with portion selection. Dr. Albers gives practical tips on how to monitor and curb emotional eating as well as maximize smart choices for healthy eating.

This article was part of the November 2022 e-news FRESH Rx. Subscribe for similar content delivered to your inbox monthly.