Disclaimer: All of our warriors willingly shared their stories without being coerced neither did the editor include her views in the shared story segment of this blog post.
In today’s world, many things strive for your attention. From bills to pay to the next task on your to-do list, family responsibilities, work expectations, and many more actions keep you distracted. Amid these activities, practicing mindfulness is imperative, including mindful eating.
Practicing mindfulness is rooted in the Buddhist tradition, which teaches living in the present and continuously remembering the object you aim to keep your attention on.
How, then, can you practice mindfulness when eating?
What is mindful eating?
In the case of mindful eating, it focuses on the food, savoring every taste and texture of the food without rushing. It is experiencing every emotion and sensation that comes with eating that food. You slowly eat a healthy and balanced meal until you feel full.
When we rush eating, we experience the illusion of hunger, which leads to excessive eating. By the time you feel full, it’s already late, as the sensory organs are overworked.
The goal of mindful eating is to enjoy eating, not eating merely to stay alive. By eating mindfully, you live healthily, make healthy eating choices, and appreciate every bite/food source.
With this level of developing a healthy food relationship, being a vegan is almost inevitable as you are compelled to eat holistically and cleanly. Beyond our beliefs and values, mindfulness teaches us that becoming a vegan is beneficial because it makes us feel better and more in tune with our bodies.
What makes up a vegan diet?
There are many definitions of veganism and what makes up a vegan diet, but the practice of veganism is keeping your diet non-animal-based and other products (food-based or otherwise). Beyond your diet, veganism also entails living sustainably in every aspect of life.
Amy Jordan from The Vegan Review says veganism is “more than a diet, it’s a way of life,” a statement I wholly agree with.
Adopting a vegan diet is a form of mindfulness as it helps you choose clean eating and living.
Before I share the benefits of vegan diets and mindful eating, read Lisa’s story on why she is passionate about enlightening people to eat mindfully.
RELATED STORIES
- Mindful Eating & Veganism – VeggieJeva
- The relationship between Vegan and Mindfulness – Gulf Times
- Mindful Eating 101 — A Beginner’s Guide – Healthline
- Why Going Vegan Can Help You Relax – VegNews
- Why mindfulness and a vegan diet go hand in hand – Karina
Lisa’s Mindful Eating Story
Lisa is your mindfulness motivator and curator of the FirstbornLisa blog, where she shares vegan recipes and little reminders to stay confident and motivated. Her mission is to inspire you to glow up on the inside using food and your thoughts.
1. What is your mission or passion, and how is it connected to your journey? Use this question to explain your journey and how it connects to what drives you to spread awareness, what you are passionate about, or your mission.
My mission is to help others recognize an alternative to becoming physically, mentally, and emotionally fit without breaking the bank by using food and their thoughts.
I’ve battled the fear of rejection (too concerned about what people think), overthinking, and self-neglect. Now, I use my past experiences to comfortably inform others of the health benefits of living a healthy lifestyle centered around whole foods and mindfulness.
2. What challenges did you face in your journey, and how did you overcome them?
I stayed quiet because of fear and convinced myself that no one was interested in my story. But, after practicing positive self-talk and mindfulness, everything changed.
I’m now comfortable in my skin and take pride in sharing my experiences with the hopes of inspiring others to do the same.
3. What is the most important thing(s) you have learned from your journey and the mission/passion it led you to?
Since embarking on the journey of mindfulness and veganism, the most important thing I’ve learned is that while sharing knowledge with others, I am also learning.
I recognized a long time ago that the simple changes I implemented garnered many positive results. As the saying goes, “each one, teach one.”
This realization led me to where I am today- a life dedicated to motivating others to change by implementing simple changes, such as being mindful of your thoughts and the things you choose to put in your mouth.
4. What do you recommend to others facing the same challenges now?
I would recommend that you should get out of your head. How? By being mindful of your thoughts and practicing staying in the moment.
I know we can’t stop our thoughts, but we can control them by not believing the negative ones.
One way to combat negative thoughts is by repeating positive affirmations. Along the lines of, I release ideas that don’t make me grow.
5. How do you use your platform to bring awareness or support your mission/passion to help others?
Mondays are all things being mindful. It’s the chance for me to educate others on how mindfulness practice has helped me and how it can help them.
For the remainder of the week, I show my love for cooking and not just any cooking but specifically vegan plant-based meals. I intend to remind others that reasonable steps can positively change their lives.
6. Please provide links to your platforms that you would like others to access your information, i.e., Instagram, Facebook, or website.
You can check out her latest blog posts at www.firstbornlisa.com or follow her on IG and Facebook @firstbornlisa.
Now, here are the benefits of incorporating veganism into eating mindfully.
Benefits of practicing mindful eating and veganism
The benefits are numerous, but here are five (5) reasons to incorporate a vegan diet.
1. Avoid food disorders like Binge Eating Disorder
2. Lead a healthy lifestyle
3. Enjoy your food to the fullest
4. Become in control of your hunger signals
5. Keep healthy emotionally and physically
FINAL THOUGHTS FROM THE EDITOR
You know the saying, “learning never ends.” Lisa is the living definition. From her story, I learned that you need a community in your mindfulness journey. By sharing your journey, several like-minded friends will likely join you, so it’s vital never to stop advocating for a cause you believe in.
Friend, practicing mindfulness is an intentional journey, but I hope that Lisa’s story and the above benefits spur you to slow down, enjoy eating and live healthily.
How have you incorporated mindfulness into your daily living?
Editor’s note: Your story is vital in our journey to educate and shed light on the successful lives that people with chronic illnesses lead. To share your story with the world, click here.
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