Have you heard about mindful eating? Just think about the words. Eating. Mind. Full. A mind full of food. Presence of mind. Think about what you eat. How much you eat. What quality of food you eat. With whom you are eating. Be mindful about eating.
As I continue to search for and create solutions to childhood obesity and diabetes, I always get back to this statement: You are what you eat. This is what mindful eating means to me. When you know where your food was grown and you eat the right amount and kind of foods, and you enjoy what you eat, things start rebalancing themselves.
For me, mindful eating begins on Saturday mornings when I head over to one of our two Green Markets. I talk to my friends who happen to be the farmers growing the yellow beets, swiss chards, and Purple Cherokee tomatoes I buy. I plan my menus around what I just bought. Then I pair the menus with friends. This to me is mindful eating. Quality, not quantity. Enjoyment, not convenience. Balance, not greed.
If we are going to solve the childhood obesity epidemic, we must first take a look at ourselves. Think about what you eat. Be mindful of what you eat and how much you eat. Enjoy what you eat. You have the power to prevent diseases and obesity if you just think about it.
Growing Healthy Kids is a movement to halt, reverse, and prevent childhood obesity one child and one garden at a time. Be part of the solution. Your children will thank you.
Your friend,
Nancy Heinrich
Founder, Growing Healthy Kids
