Once you have calmed and centered yourself, start to engage mindfully with your food. Notice its colors, textures, and smells. Smell your food. Take small, slow bites and chew food thoroughly, savoring each and every moment. When you eat with mindfulness and at a slower pace, you improve your digestion and assimilation of nutrients.You'll also find it's much easier to notice when you are truly full, which can help you stop overeating. Ayurveda suggests that the best diet is one where you carefully taste each morsel of food in this way. The flavor and taste of your food changes with every bite, as your body has a continual feedback loop to help you know what to eat, and how much. When you slow down and listen, you can hear those messages more clearly and let your body lead the way to healthier choices and portions.

Another reason you might be tempted to eat too quickly is because of a real or imagined fear that your food will disappear off your plate if you do not quickly devour it. Maybe when you remember the frustration of a favorite special food item that was eaten by someone else in the house. Perhaps this is still a reality in your current household, and you learned to eat your favorite foods quickly and immediately. Again, bringing mindfulness can help you to overcome this pattern, which is ultimately causing more harm than good to your body. It can be frustrating to have your favorite food items eaten by loved ones, but eating them too quickly or immediately is not a healthy alternative.