A Bag of Skittles

I still remember the first time I experienced eating mindfully.  I was about 7 years old, eating a bag of skittles in my bedroom.  As I was working my way through that bag of sugary goodness I poured a handful of skittles into my hand and paused, looking at the different colors.  Each skittle has a distinct taste, to the trained tongue, but I was simply piling them into my mouth without thought to what flavor was coming next.  On this day, I decided to pause and, looking at the bright colors, choose what flavor I was craving at that moment.  Did I want Red (my go-to favorite candy color) or Green or Orange (usually my least favorite)?  I realized that I had a choice and I could choose the colors and flavors in the order that I wanted, that I craved, to fully enjoy my snack.

In years since, I have often used that moment as a metaphor for how I go about my life.  It's easy to get caught up in daily motions and begin activities without desire or direction or mindfulness.  My skittles moment reminds me that I have a choice in everything I do and that pausing to take note of what I am experiencing and allow myself the time to choose how to proceed brings pleasure to the everyday.

In this blog I'm setting out to do just that.  To think about what I'm putting into my body and how it affects the way I feel, both mentally and physically.  Sometimes we eat when we're bored, or sad, or happy, or just to be social.  Sometimes we eat foods that we know weren't farmed ethically, have pesticides, came from a factory farm, have high mercury levels, or consume animals that are somewhat endangered.  Sometimes we eat something that is not healthy, but we feel great and fulfilled afterwards whereas other times we completely regret that meal choice.  What's important to me is not counting calories or going on an extreme diet that would feel restrictive and be unsustainable.  What's important to me is bringing awareness to the food I choose to eat, and when I'm ready, taking action to make better choices for my body and the world around me.  I'm not sure what those actions will be yet, but I am ready to begin this journey toward eating mindfully.