April 3, 2024, 1PM Eastern / 10AM Pacific

Fun with Mindful Eating!

(Episode #242)

Ricki McKenna

“Conscious eating is a big step toward conscious living.”

― Natasha Pantovic

Mindful nutrition is not just about what you eat, but how you eat it. It involves bringing your attention to the experience of eating, including the taste, texture, and smell of food, as well as the sensations in your body. By practicing mindful eating, you become more aware of your body’s hunger and fullness cues, allowing you to make healthier choices and avoid overeating. Mindful eating emphasizes the importance of savoring each bite and eating with intention, rather than slipping into an unconscious pattern of consuming food out of habit or in response to emotions.

Learning to enjoy mindful nutrition can transform the way you think about food and dieting. Instead of viewing it as a restrictive or tedious task, you learn to see it as an opportunity to nourish your body and indulge in the pleasures of eating. Experimenting with different flavors, ingredients, and cooking techniques can make mealtime exciting and enjoyable. Whether you’re trying new recipes, exploring ethnic cuisines, or simply taking the time to appreciate the taste of fresh produce, mindful eating encourages you to embrace food as a source of pleasure and satisfaction.

For this episode of Life Mastery TV, I’m excited to bring my friend and colleague Ricki McKenna onto the show. Ricki is passionate about preparing and sharing real food. As a Certified Nutritionist, she has 24 years of experience as a best-selling author, public speaker, Dream Builder Coach, and weekly Zoom show host. Ricki is a loving, playful and joyful person who brings lots of enthusiasm to everything she does. Here are some of the topics we’ll be covering in this program:

Why Do We Need to Eat?

From nourishing our bodies and souls with the building blocks of true health—physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually—to boosting brain power and emotional states, food can make us feel great or deprive us of those important elements.

Awareness is KEY

Awareness or mindfulness is a KEY to choosing food. As adults, we often choose our food according to what we were fed as 2 year-olds, trusting our parents to know what would help us grow. Awareness of what’s truly healthful and will help us flourish as healthy kids, teens and eventually adults is vitally important – and can be learned at any age. (Often children learn faster and easier than adults when given choices that make them feel good – energized and happy).

The Importance of Education

Food needs to look, smell, and taste good to us. After all, we eat first with our eyes and noses. Healthy appetites don’t always match food choices, though, so we must learn to choose wisely from among all the varied offerings in different places. Super markets, farmers markets, and seasonal foods all vary in their availability during the year.

Nutrition as Medicine

Food is meant to enhance our lives, give us energy and endurance, keep us going through stressful times. Food can also prevent, reverse and even cure disease states.

Making Mindfulness FUN!

Anyone can learn and practice mindfulness techniques. So much the better if we learn these techniques when we’re still young and make them a part of our daily lives. But mindfulness doesn’t have to be pedantic or boring. If you bring your full awareness to your nutrition and eating practice, you’ll naturally learn to enjoy your food all the time, and recognize the gifts of healing and pleasure that you are putting into your body.

Incorporating mindfulness into your eating habits can enhance your overall well-being. By being fully present during meals, you can reduce stress and anxiety, improve digestion, and cultivate a greater sense of gratitude for the nourishment that food provides. Mindful nutrition isn’t about perfection or rigid rules; it’s about developing a positive and sustainable relationship with food that honors your body’s needs and supports your health and happiness. Embrace the journey of mindful eating with curiosity and openness, and discover the joy that comes from savoring each delicious moment.

Episode Guest

Ricki McKenna

Ricki McKenna

Ricki McKenna is a Certified Nutritionist with 24 years of experience as a best-selling author, public speaker, Dream Builder Coach, and weekly Zoom show host. Ricki began holistic nutritional coaching in 2001, serving women and men over 55 to make positive life changes. She empowers her clients to create and experience radically healthier, richer, more productive and joy-filled lives through mindful nutrition.

Ricki is a founding member of The Holistic Center for Human Flourishing, where she began speaking about health and nutrition to the public in 2001. She has written articles for several health publications, and a weekly column for the Aspen Daily News. She is also a contributing member of the National Association of Nutritional Professionals, Zonta Club International, and a best-selling author with The Wellness Universe Guide to Complete Self-Care, 25 Tools for Happiness. Her newest book, Yes You Can Eat Well AND Eat Right…and Find the Joy of Cooking, is available on Amazon.

For more information, visit https://RickisKitchen.net/

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