S2:E48 - Suicide Prevention Month - Day 29

Mental health and physical health are closely linked. One way to ensure that physical health is maintained, diet. This episode gives some specific tips in thinking about how you eat and what to think about while you eat. Mindful eating is something I practiced when I stayed at Buddhist Temples in Korea. Sitting in silence, eating 5 grain rice, feeling each grain between my teeth and how my saliva started to break down the carbohydrates before I even got to swallow. It sounds boring, right? It was at first, but allowing time for your body to fully respond to nutrients that are being provided can definitely be a spiritual event. I have only done mindful eating for weight loss once, when the Air Force enforced a waist measurement. I was definitely more round than I am today and in order to pass the waist tape, I needed to lose about 8 inches off the midsection. I used this to ensure I knew when I was hungry or when I was bored and it helped me from shoveling Zebra Cakes down my throat while I watched Stargate SG-1.