1 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:12,720 Speaker 1: Hi everyone, Cully Taylor here. Welcome to this week's mo 2 00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:17,000 Speaker 1: Joe Monday. So this episode is actually inspired by an 3 00:00:17,040 --> 00:00:20,279 Speaker 1: experience that I had this morning. So I was sitting 4 00:00:20,360 --> 00:00:26,520 Speaker 1: at my desk, fully focused on my university assignment, and 5 00:00:26,840 --> 00:00:29,400 Speaker 1: I was also eating a piece of chocolate at the 6 00:00:29,440 --> 00:00:34,040 Speaker 1: same time. So not just any chocolate. It was my favorite, 7 00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:38,120 Speaker 1: which is ninety percent lint chocolate. And I know many 8 00:00:38,120 --> 00:00:39,800 Speaker 1: of you are going to turn your nose up at that, 9 00:00:40,120 --> 00:00:43,879 Speaker 1: but I don't have a massively sweet tooth. But I 10 00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:48,479 Speaker 1: do find that the lint ninety percent has this really smooth, 11 00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:53,040 Speaker 1: kind of not so bitter dark chocolate, you know, beautiful taste, 12 00:00:53,080 --> 00:00:56,600 Speaker 1: and I really enjoy it. But I digress with that description. 13 00:00:56,800 --> 00:01:00,400 Speaker 1: But I have a rule that I only eat three 14 00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:02,560 Speaker 1: squares of this a day, and I have to have 15 00:01:02,600 --> 00:01:05,080 Speaker 1: this role because I really really enjoy it, and if 16 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:10,000 Speaker 1: I didn't, I would I would definitely eat more. And 17 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:13,720 Speaker 1: this is an important point here because because I limit 18 00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:18,920 Speaker 1: myself to this amount, it's really important that I savor 19 00:01:19,280 --> 00:01:22,759 Speaker 1: the experience of the chocolate, and I really really enjoy it. 20 00:01:23,319 --> 00:01:27,840 Speaker 1: But this morning, I was so engrossed in my assignment 21 00:01:28,240 --> 00:01:32,280 Speaker 1: that I didn't savor the taste of that smooth texture, 22 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:36,840 Speaker 1: and I didn't notice the little dose of dopamine that 23 00:01:36,959 --> 00:01:40,600 Speaker 1: I normally experienced. I just ate it and then it 24 00:01:40,680 --> 00:01:43,880 Speaker 1: was gone, And I missed out on the joy of 25 00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:46,960 Speaker 1: eating that chocolate because my mind was on my work, 26 00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:50,600 Speaker 1: So my attention was on my work. And how often 27 00:01:50,760 --> 00:01:55,280 Speaker 1: do we do this? They eating on autopilot, not having 28 00:01:55,440 --> 00:02:00,840 Speaker 1: that sensory experience of our food and our enjoyment of eating, 29 00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:05,200 Speaker 1: or even worse like barely remembering that we ate at all. 30 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:09,600 Speaker 1: And this isn't just a quirky observation that I had 31 00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:13,720 Speaker 1: this morning, It is backed by research. Studies show that 32 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:18,720 Speaker 1: eating while distracted can lead to overeating and even affect 33 00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:22,400 Speaker 1: our digestion. And one study that I came across from 34 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:26,440 Speaker 1: the European Eating Disorders Review found that a mindful eating 35 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:31,560 Speaker 1: program significantly reduced emotional eating in adults who were overweight 36 00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:35,800 Speaker 1: or obese. And it wasn't just about eating less, it 37 00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:40,960 Speaker 1: was about changing their relationship with food by paying attention 38 00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:46,079 Speaker 1: to what, how and why they were eating. So mindful 39 00:02:46,120 --> 00:02:49,840 Speaker 1: eating can help us eat less, not because we're focusing 40 00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:54,880 Speaker 1: or forcing ourselves to, but we are more in tune 41 00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:58,440 Speaker 1: with our body's signals. And another study that I saw 42 00:02:58,840 --> 00:03:02,680 Speaker 1: found that mindful eat eating improves emotional regulation and also 43 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:07,919 Speaker 1: self compassion. And so imagine having that self awareness and 44 00:03:08,120 --> 00:03:12,760 Speaker 1: treating yourself with kindness and stop and stopping to eat 45 00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:17,280 Speaker 1: or stop eating when you're full, not because you're counting calories, 46 00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:21,720 Speaker 1: but because you are okay with it, because you actually 47 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:26,160 Speaker 1: feel satisfied. So if you've been listening to my Jo 48 00:03:26,280 --> 00:03:29,960 Speaker 1: mondays for a while, you all know that I continually 49 00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:34,120 Speaker 1: talk about attention, about where our attention is in any 50 00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:38,200 Speaker 1: moment and how powerful that can be. And this is 51 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:42,320 Speaker 1: related to mindful eating. So mindful eating is simply paying 52 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:48,920 Speaker 1: full attention to your food, paying full attention to the eating, 53 00:03:49,040 --> 00:03:53,560 Speaker 1: to the process of eating that food, and not doing 54 00:03:53,640 --> 00:03:59,680 Speaker 1: anything else but eating. And it's noticing and fully experiencing 55 00:04:00,400 --> 00:04:03,320 Speaker 1: the colors, so the sight of the food, the smells, 56 00:04:03,440 --> 00:04:08,040 Speaker 1: the textures, the flavors. It's listening to your body's hunger 57 00:04:08,160 --> 00:04:13,120 Speaker 1: cues and listening to how full you are. It's about 58 00:04:13,200 --> 00:04:19,560 Speaker 1: eating slowly and without judgments, so allowing yourself to fully 59 00:04:19,680 --> 00:04:23,800 Speaker 1: enjoy the experience. And how often do you do this? 60 00:04:23,960 --> 00:04:26,440 Speaker 1: So this is a question to ask yourself, how often 61 00:04:26,520 --> 00:04:29,479 Speaker 1: do you do this, think about what you were doing 62 00:04:29,480 --> 00:04:34,040 Speaker 1: at lunchtime yesterday, for example, So where were you, what 63 00:04:34,080 --> 00:04:37,760 Speaker 1: were you eating? What were you doing while you were eating? 64 00:04:38,360 --> 00:04:42,160 Speaker 1: So do you recall the flavors, the textures, the sites, 65 00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:47,119 Speaker 1: the aromas of the food. So often we are so 66 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:51,479 Speaker 1: busy that meals and filling our bellies so they don't 67 00:04:51,520 --> 00:04:55,920 Speaker 1: rumble are just another task to tick off. So we 68 00:04:56,000 --> 00:04:59,960 Speaker 1: eat while scrolling, and I've done it many many time. 69 00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:04,240 Speaker 1: If I don't catch myself on, we eat while working, 70 00:05:04,640 --> 00:05:10,080 Speaker 1: while watching Netflix or even being deep in thought, and 71 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:14,680 Speaker 1: suddenly the meal is gone and we feel stuffed. Practicing 72 00:05:14,720 --> 00:05:19,320 Speaker 1: mindfulness while we eat has shown to reduce binge eating. 73 00:05:19,960 --> 00:05:23,400 Speaker 1: It's shown to reduce anxiety around eating. A lot of 74 00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:27,799 Speaker 1: people feel really anxious when they're choosing what food to eat, 75 00:05:28,520 --> 00:05:32,720 Speaker 1: and it can even help with depression. And it can 76 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:37,760 Speaker 1: help us differentiate between physical hunger and emotional cravings, and 77 00:05:37,839 --> 00:05:42,280 Speaker 1: that leads to healthier choices over time, because it really 78 00:05:42,320 --> 00:05:46,839 Speaker 1: is increasing our self awareness around our relationship with food. 79 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:50,960 Speaker 1: And it's not about being perfect or rigid or avoiding 80 00:05:51,040 --> 00:05:55,000 Speaker 1: chocolate in my case, thank goodness, because chocolate is my thing. 81 00:05:55,120 --> 00:05:58,200 Speaker 1: There's no way I'm giving it up. But it's about 82 00:05:58,279 --> 00:06:01,240 Speaker 1: enjoying the chocolate, or enjoying whatever it is that you're 83 00:06:01,279 --> 00:06:04,920 Speaker 1: eating to the fullest and taking the time to truly 84 00:06:05,520 --> 00:06:09,200 Speaker 1: taste it and savor it. And this is something I 85 00:06:09,240 --> 00:06:11,800 Speaker 1: do normally do I do try and practice this, So 86 00:06:11,839 --> 00:06:15,880 Speaker 1: I'm very aware of the difference between mindfully eating those 87 00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:19,800 Speaker 1: three squares of chocolate and then just going through the motions. 88 00:06:20,640 --> 00:06:24,080 Speaker 1: So I've got some tips for you to experiment with 89 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:27,800 Speaker 1: to start eating mindfully. The first one is, next time 90 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:32,600 Speaker 1: you're eating, just pause, so take a deep breath, so 91 00:06:32,760 --> 00:06:36,800 Speaker 1: look at your food and really appreciate it, like smell it, 92 00:06:37,120 --> 00:06:41,440 Speaker 1: allow your senses to wake up and even appreciate where 93 00:06:41,440 --> 00:06:44,279 Speaker 1: it came from and all the people that made it 94 00:06:44,360 --> 00:06:47,640 Speaker 1: possible for you to have this experience eating this food. 95 00:06:48,279 --> 00:06:51,760 Speaker 1: You know, gratitude before eating can be such a good 96 00:06:51,839 --> 00:06:55,400 Speaker 1: start to this process because all of a sudden, you 97 00:06:55,480 --> 00:07:00,200 Speaker 1: are very present with what you're eating and chew each 98 00:07:00,320 --> 00:07:05,000 Speaker 1: bite thoroughly, So slow down, put your fork down in 99 00:07:05,120 --> 00:07:09,840 Speaker 1: between bites. This can be a real conscious decision to 100 00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:12,640 Speaker 1: do that, because how often do we put the food 101 00:07:12,680 --> 00:07:15,440 Speaker 1: in our mouth and then we're back cutting things up 102 00:07:15,480 --> 00:07:17,640 Speaker 1: and putting it on the fork ready for the next bite. 103 00:07:17,680 --> 00:07:22,000 Speaker 1: So actually putting your fork down and then not picking 104 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:25,040 Speaker 1: your fork, your knife and fork up until you've swallowed 105 00:07:25,080 --> 00:07:29,160 Speaker 1: that mouthful. And what this can do is really help 106 00:07:29,240 --> 00:07:33,960 Speaker 1: you with your digestion and it also gives you time 107 00:07:34,080 --> 00:07:38,040 Speaker 1: to notice when you're getting full. Now, the next one 108 00:07:38,240 --> 00:07:41,720 Speaker 1: is putting your screens away. Make it a rule so 109 00:07:41,840 --> 00:07:45,920 Speaker 1: when you're eating, screens are away and reaching for screens 110 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:49,280 Speaker 1: every time we have a few moments, which includes eating 111 00:07:49,320 --> 00:07:53,760 Speaker 1: a meal often especially I think at lunchtime, it means 112 00:07:53,800 --> 00:07:57,920 Speaker 1: that we're just on autopilot. So if you can create 113 00:07:57,960 --> 00:08:02,240 Speaker 1: a habit that you eat screen free, you can really 114 00:08:02,520 --> 00:08:06,320 Speaker 1: mindfully enjoy the food in front of you and then 115 00:08:06,400 --> 00:08:10,320 Speaker 1: engage your senses. So notice the textures, the tastes, and 116 00:08:10,360 --> 00:08:14,840 Speaker 1: even the sound of the food, whether it's crunchy, notice 117 00:08:14,880 --> 00:08:19,120 Speaker 1: the creaminess or the spiciness, and just be really curious 118 00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:23,840 Speaker 1: about all the kind of sensations of the food. And 119 00:08:23,880 --> 00:08:27,240 Speaker 1: then finally listen to your body, like check in with yourself. 120 00:08:27,320 --> 00:08:29,960 Speaker 1: I do this all the time when I find myself 121 00:08:30,360 --> 00:08:33,880 Speaker 1: entering the kitchen, am I really hungry or am I 122 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:37,480 Speaker 1: trying to distract myself from all the work that I've 123 00:08:37,520 --> 00:08:40,120 Speaker 1: got to do. I actually find sometimes that it's a 124 00:08:40,280 --> 00:08:44,360 Speaker 1: procrastination strategy for me. So if I'm kind of like, oh, 125 00:08:44,400 --> 00:08:46,559 Speaker 1: I really don't want to be doing this uni assignment, 126 00:08:46,960 --> 00:08:50,800 Speaker 1: I'll distract myself by eating. So just being aware of 127 00:08:52,200 --> 00:08:54,160 Speaker 1: why you are going to the kitchen or why you're 128 00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:57,520 Speaker 1: reaching for the food or is it a stress response 129 00:08:57,559 --> 00:09:00,880 Speaker 1: so many of us eat when we're stress or is 130 00:09:00,920 --> 00:09:05,439 Speaker 1: it just a habit. So here's the challenge for this week. 131 00:09:06,360 --> 00:09:09,280 Speaker 1: Pick one meal or a snack. Pick one meal or 132 00:09:09,280 --> 00:09:12,640 Speaker 1: a snack a day and try to eat it mindfully. 133 00:09:12,679 --> 00:09:15,160 Speaker 1: Just give it a go. You know, maybe it's your 134 00:09:15,200 --> 00:09:18,320 Speaker 1: morning coffee or your lunch, or if you're like me, 135 00:09:18,679 --> 00:09:21,640 Speaker 1: it's that piece of chocolate after lunch or the four 136 00:09:21,679 --> 00:09:24,600 Speaker 1: o'clock slump, And there might be an added bonus here. 137 00:09:25,320 --> 00:09:28,440 Speaker 1: Maybe if you eat mindfully, the food's going to taste 138 00:09:28,440 --> 00:09:32,640 Speaker 1: better and you'll feel more satisfied and you might even 139 00:09:32,679 --> 00:09:36,200 Speaker 1: eat less. So thank you for tuning in this week, 140 00:09:36,240 --> 00:09:39,400 Speaker 1: Tom Joe Monday. I would really love to hear your 141 00:09:39,480 --> 00:09:42,640 Speaker 1: mindful eating stories or any other experiences that you may 142 00:09:42,720 --> 00:09:48,640 Speaker 1: have had. And I have started back on LinkedIn, which 143 00:09:48,720 --> 00:09:51,960 Speaker 1: I'm actually really enjoying because it's a great platform for 144 00:09:52,120 --> 00:09:57,000 Speaker 1: writing content that can add some value and I always 145 00:09:57,040 --> 00:10:00,520 Speaker 1: try and post stuff that is practical. So if you 146 00:10:00,559 --> 00:10:06,600 Speaker 1: are on LinkedIn, check out my LinkedIn account, and it's 147 00:10:06,640 --> 00:10:09,920 Speaker 1: a really good platform for us to connect. So hopefully 148 00:10:09,960 --> 00:10:13,200 Speaker 1: I'll see you there. Otherwise I will catch you next week. 149 00:10:13,360 --> 00:10:21,160 Speaker 1: See ya.