As part of mindful eating, the first key is to know if you’re eating because you’re hungry, or for some other reason? This seems like a simple question, and yet, it’s not always easy to tell if you’re hungry or not. I’ve known that for a while. You might be familiar with this challenge, too. But what I didn’t know is that this is tied to a sense called interoception. Put simply, interoception is what allows us to sense what’s going on in our bodies. This includes noticing pain, temperature, breathlessness, thirst, and, of course, hunger. I heard about this in a fascinating book called Unthinkable: An Extraordinary Journey Through the World's Strangest Brains by Helen Thomson. She mentioned i

Most of us don’t like to admit when we make mistakes. It reminds us that we’re not perfect, but also that we probably hurt someone. It might be in a small way, like not using your turn signal and annoying the drivers around you with an unexpected turn. Or it could be much more serious, like saying something hurtful to a loved one in a moment of anger. And yet, hard as it can be to acknowledge those kinds of mistakes, it can be even harder to face the things you’ve done that hurt yourself. Things like eating in a way that causes you physical discomfort or even pain. Or believing the little voice in your head that tells you you’re lazy… unlovable… ugly… not good enough. I think this is sometim

Last week, I talked about some questions you can ask yourself if you struggle with evening snacks. As part of it, I mentioned that I’d started adding a little more to my daytime eating, so I wouldn’t be as hungry at night. But even though I wasn’t as hungry, I found that I still wanted to snack. Hmm. I had to think about it a bit to figure out what was going on, and I thought it might be helpful if I shared what I discovered. Habit is very powerful Once you’ve been doing something long enough, it just becomes ingrained. This can be good, like brushing your teeth or looking both ways when you cross the street. But it can also backfire if you don’t want to keep that particular habit. The first

Snacking at night. I can’t tell you how often I hear this come up as a struggle for people. Maybe it is for you, too. You do okay during the day when you’re busy, but once you’re home and relaxing, you become an eating machine. Believe me, I can relate. I’ve had my own issues with this, too. And what makes it more challenging is that it can come up for different reasons. Although to clarify, I don’t think there’s anything inherently wrong with an evening snack, particularly if you’re actually hungry. But if you’re regularly overeating at night, and this is negatively impacting you – for instance, you might not sleep well if your stomach is overfull – it’s worth looking at. So here are some q

It’s rare to get an actual free meal on an airplane these days. At least, if you’re riding coach. This helps makes international travel more enjoyable, because they do feed you. I got to experience this on my recent flight back from Ireland. Of course, I couldn’t help looking at my meal through a lens of mindfulness. And I realized these meals have both pros and cons. These were my takeaways. #1 – No choice of timing, but also no eating by the clock On an airplane, you’re a captive audience in every sense. If you’re planning on eating the airline food, you’re stuck with whatever time they bring it. On the other hand, you won’t be eating by the clock. In fact, if you’re crossing multiple time