Mindful Eating Tips for Your Body and Soul

The average person spends at least one hour a day eating. By age 30, you’ve spent the equivalent of two years just putting food in your mouth. Traditional Jewish thought has much to say about how to make this more pleasurable, productive, and meaningful.

Eat Hungry

When was the last time you ate when you weren’t hungry? Checking your hunger gauge before taking a bite helps keep weight in check and builds self-control. As King Solomon said: “The righteous eat to satisfy their souls” (Proverbs 13:25).

Sit Down

The Rambam, in Mishneh Torah, says one should never stand or walk while eating. Modern science agrees: we consume fewer calories when sitting and digest better when we chew properly.

Acknowledge

Taking three seconds to recognize where the food comes from sets the tone for the meal. A common misconception: the bracha said before eating is not thanksgiving; it is a statement acknowledging that God is the Creator of the food. You are essentially seeking permission to take His food.

Remove Distractions

One cannot fully enjoy a meal while answering emails or scrolling. Distracted eating causes less effective digestion, bloating, gas, and constipation, and research shows the more you distract yourself during a meal, the more pounds you add.

Chew, Swallow, Wait… Repeat

Rabbi Yosef Hayim (the Ben Ish Hai) writes that one should not reach for the next bite until the previous has been completely swallowed. Easier said than done, but once mastered, this habit leaves you feeling in control and elevated.

Appreciate

The only biblically ordained blessing is the Grace After Meals, not before. Being appreciative is a core Jewish value. Jews are called Yehudim, from the word l’hodot, to thank. Gratitude permeates the entire Jewish experience, and recently discovered benefits include improved health, increased self-esteem, and better sleep.

This one also runs as a class. See it, and the rest, on the class topics page.