Mindful eating

This is what I was asked to do last year at an event called the Yoga of Cooking, which was based on ancient Indian ayurvedic medicine. It was the most delicious, spiritual, intense grape I ever ate.

A recent New York Times article describes a similar Buddhist philosophy of mindful eating. In the article, Harvard nutritionist Dr. Lilian Cheung explains why she thinks this practice could be the anti-diet to solve the obesity epidemic. She argues that mindful eating can help us achieve healthier, less stressful lives and lose weight.

“The rhythm of life is becoming faster and faster, so we really don’t have the same awareness and the same ability to check into ourselves,” she told The New York Times. By mindfully eating, we give our bodies the chance to tell us what it wants and needs. And we allow our bodies to tell us when to stop.

Similarly, Nalini Mehta explained at the Yoga of Cooking workshop, ayurvedic eating enables us to eat what we specifically need at a given moment, rather than being restricted by a diet, binge eating to comfort ourselves, eating what we think we “should” eat or eating mindlessly as we watch TV. When we guiltily indulge our cravings for chocolate, we are unable to satisfy that craving. If we instead listen to our cravings guilt-free, a small piece of chocolate can be enough. Mindful eating is not about restricting one’s diet but about experiencing food fully. When we do that, less is more.

At various times throughout my career as a ‘Prince’ columnist, I have written about conscientious eating, my decision to become vegan, the psychological issues concerning the ways we talk about obesity and the stresses we feel at Princeton. The New York Times article on mindful eating recalls all of these columns.

In my December 2010 article on No Fat Talk Week, I wrote that “our society’s moralizing obsession with weight has psychological consequences. It also may undercut the motivation of those with genuine weight problems to address them. Those who are overweight or obese would be best served by social support, not social stigma … A better approach to helping all individuals become healthier is to focus on health in a positive light rather than looking at weight negatively.” Mindful eating has the potential to be such a positive force. Because the focus is on our own experience and our own needs, it eliminates guilt associated with eating. At the same time, it becomes easier to eat healthier foods, to eat desserts in moderation and to eat smaller portions. Not because we should, but because we want to. In this light, eating healthily is about listening to our own needs and cherishing our bodies, not about shame. Weight loss becomes an added benefit.

In a February 2010 article I explained that, whether you are vegan and whether you consider yourself an environmentalist or a proponent of animal rights, conscientious eating is powerful. As I wrote then, “Our food choices help drive the economy and determine what and how food is produced … Eating conscientiously is a way for individuals to help address some problems through their daily lives.” Mindful eating encourages us to think about what we eat rather than grabbing food absentmindedly. Whether we are contemplating the texture of a grape or the origins of a meal, we are empowered to choose what we want to eat and to choose foods based on our own bodily needs and personal values rather than merely convenience.

In October 2009 I wrote a column about the year I took off between my freshman and sophomore years. In it I asked, “What if, for once, we just stood back? I admit there were times last year when I was frightfully bored. It got to the point where I was all but counting the days until my ‘real’ life would resume and I could return to Princeton. I almost craved stress. But those moments of boredom were what I needed. I needed the time to think rather than just do — or worse, cruise on autopilot. I needed the time to feel rather than push my emotions to the back burner.” Two-and-a-half years later, I still find myself needing moments of respite from the fast pace of Princeton. Whether or not you take a year off, I think it is important for everyone to take breathers in between points A and B and C in order to truly feel their feelings and know what they value. Mindful eating could be the way to do that. In the hectic world of Princeton, full of school work, extracurricular activities and parties, mindful eating could be the reflective moment we all need to feel restored and in tune with ourselves.