Thursday, June 08, 2006

Mindful breakfast

I haven't brought you a passage from Five Good Minutes by Jeffrey Brantley and Wendy Millstine for a while. This morning I found a description of mindful breakfast:
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It's your jet fuel to get your day started and to keep your energy up to par. So before you skip breakfast again or wolf down some empty carbohydrates in a mad dash for work, take a few moments to respect what you put into your body. When you make time for a healthy, sit-down meal in the morning, you allow your body to properly digest, relax, and reduce stress. This morning, before you eat breakfast, slow down for five minutes. Here are some ways to eat mindfully.

* Pick out something delicious and nutritious for your breakfast, such as a piece of fruit, yogurt, or almond butter on toast.

* Clear away space at the table to be present with your meal. Remove interruptions. Turn off the news. Put away your book.

* Take a good, long look at your food. Take in the smell, the taste, and the various colors.

* Take notice of your hunger, your mouth, your belly, and the sensations in your body.

* Imagine that each bite of food is filling your whole being with energy. Picture every mineral and vitamin being absorbed into your body.

Of course, these are good suggestions for eating mindfully at any meal - not just breakfast. But they are particularly good for those of us who tend to be in a rush first thing in the morning. What would happen if we got up just a little bit earlier and gave ourselves this tranquil time of mindfulness? Sounds like a good way to start the day to me!

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