MINDFUL EATING PROGRAM OUTLINE

Here you will receive an overview of the course and establish the context for the rest of your experience. You will learn the theory of and evidence supporting mindful eating and how to apply it in your life. You'll be experientially introduced to mindful eating, establishing a healthier relationship with food, mindful eating meditation with a special emphasis on what it means to be fully engaged in the present moment.

Before understanding mindful eating, we need to become aware of what urges us to eat. In this week's session and practices you will learn about the seven kinds of hunger and tune in to the body.  You will learn about the hunger scale and how to listen to the messages of the body.  

This session explores our habits and patterns with food.  Bring awareness of conditioned eating and habitual patterns with food.  Learn reactive patterns, food cravings, fears, and anxieties.  Begin to explore how certain foods can have a powerful effect upon our moods.

By practicing mindfulness we cultivate curiosity and openness to the full range of our experience, and through this process our ability to pay attention becomes more flexible. This week, we’ll explore the six principles to cultivate mindful eating.  Discuss the importance of slowing down our eating and portion control.

You’ll learn the fundamentals of how to apply mindfulness when meal plan, grocery shopping, and cooking. Practice reading food labels and mindful food substitutions.  Discuss triggers that cause resistance.

This week we will discuss gratitude for the body and for food.  Learn about the body-heart-mind connection.  Focus on transformational coping strategies to broaden your inner resources and enhance your resilience through mindful eating. You'll also develop awareness of the strong and weak desires for food. You will also learn tips to practice for a lifetime as you continue the journey of mindful eating.