Hello, and welcome. I'm Julia Cartwright, and I'm so glad you're here with me today. If you're listening on a Wednesday morning in late November, I'm willing to bet your plate is already getting fuller, and not just with food. The holidays are creeping in, aren't they? So today, I want to help you find some calm in the midst of the chaos, and we're going to do that through something wonderfully simple: really tasting your food.

Let's start by getting comfortable wherever you are right now. If you can, set down your phone or any distractions for just the next few minutes. Take a seat, feet flat on the floor if possible, and let your shoulders drop away from your ears. Notice the weight of your body in this space. You belong here.

Now, let's take three deep breaths together. Breathe in through your nose for a count of four, hold for a moment, and release through your mouth. Again. And once more. Feel that? That's you arriving. That's your nervous system saying yes, we can slow down.

Now for today's practice. I want you to think about something you're going to eat today, whether that's coming up in the next hour or later at lunch. Before you take that first bite, I want you to pause and really look at it. Notice the colors, the shapes, the way light plays across its surface. What do you see that you've maybe never noticed before?

Bring it close and notice the aroma. Not in a rushed way, but like you're a curious scientist discovering something new. What does it smell like? Earthy? Bright? Comforting? Take your time here.

When you're ready, place a small bite in your mouth, but don't chew yet. Let it sit on your tongue. What flavors wake up? Is there sweetness, saltiness, texture? Now slowly chew, noticing how the flavors deepen and change with each bite. This is the conversation between you and your nourishment.

This practice isn't about perfection or doing it right. It's about interrupting the autopilot and remembering that eating is actually one of the most intimate things we do each day.

So here's your mission: choose one meal today, just one, and bring this awareness to it. Notice how different it feels, how much more satisfying it becomes.

Thank you so much for joining me on Mindful Eating: Daily Guides to Conscious Nutrition. This is where we make peace with food, one bite at a time. Please subscribe so we can explore this journey together tomorrow. Take good care.

For great deals today, check out https://amzn.to/47ZqpWT

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