Welcome back, friend. I'm Julia Cartwright, and I'm so glad you're here with me today. You know, it's Sunday morning in late December, and if you're anything like me, your kitchen has probably become a bit of a food circus lately. Holiday treats everywhere, family gatherings, maybe some stress-eating happening between the wrapping paper and the endless to-do lists. So today, I want to help you find your way back to the simple joy of actually tasting your food again.

Let's start by just settling in. Find a comfortable seat, maybe somewhere you can see natural light if you can. Roll your shoulders back a couple of times. There's no performance happening here, just you and this moment. Now, let's take three intentional breaths together. Breathe in slowly through your nose for a count of four, hold it for a moment, and exhale like you're releasing all that holiday pressure. Again. In through the nose. Out through the mouth. One more time. Beautiful.

Now, here's what I want you to do today. I'm going to guide you through something I call the Five Sense Pause. This is something you can do before any meal or snack, and it takes maybe two minutes. Imagine you're about to eat something, and I want you to notice five things.

First, pause and look at your food. Really look. Notice the colors, the textures, the way light hits it. See it like you're an artist studying your canvas.

Second, listen. Can you hear anything? Maybe the crunch potential, the steam rising?

Third, smell. Bring the food close enough to notice its aroma. Let your body start preparing to digest just from that smell.

Fourth, touch. Feel the temperature, the texture in your hands or on your lips.

And finally, taste. Let the first bite sit in your mouth for a few seconds before chewing. Notice where the flavors live. Is it sweet on the tip of your tongue? Bitter in the back?

This isn't about eating slowly, though you might naturally. It's about waking up to what you're actually consuming instead of letting it disappear on autopilot while you're scrolling or thinking about tomorrow.

You can practice this with one meal today, or even one bite. That's enough. Over time, this small pause becomes a reset button that reconnects you with real hunger, real satisfaction, and genuine nourishment.

Thank you so much for spending these few minutes with me on Mindful Eating: Daily Guides to Conscious Nutrition. I hope you felt that warmth and ease. Please do subscribe so you don't miss tomorrow's practice. You've got this.

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This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI