What comes to mind when you hear “mindfulness?”
Often, we think of breathing or meditation, but what about eating?
Can eating be a form of mindfulness? Can we mindfully eat?
What does that even mean?
Not too long ago, I came across Welo – A probiotic snack company for Kids.
I was thoroughly impressed by how much thought and consideration went
into their packaging. Welo stands for We Love and they spread love, kindness, and mindfulness right from the start! They have adorable activities right on their boxes to foster kindness and creativity.
We all know that mindfulness helps Adults in our busy lives but what about our children? Mindfulness for children is incredibly important especially at an early age. Practicing mindfulness in everyday things can wire a child’s brain to be mindful, present and grateful for the little things.
Mindful eating is a mindfulness approach that helps children appreciate and connect with food. This happens when the child is more aware of what they are eating and taking in the entire experience of eating- using all five senses. It will also encourage them to choose healthier food options on their own.
Did you know that inflammation of the gut is linked to causing several mental illnesses like anxiety and depression? Taking care of your child’s gut health through Welo bars has an important relationship to boosting your child’s mental health from early on! Welo bars are packed with important nutrients such as probiotics and prebiotics to help ensure that you have the right balance of bacteria to keep your gut microbiota healthy.
Here’s a fun little mindfulness activity to do with your next Welo bar!
- As you remove your Welo bar from the wrapper, feel it and notice how the Welo bar texture feels. Is it smooth? Bumpy?
- Smell the bar. What does it smell like? Chocolate? Banana? Take in the smell and imagine what you smell. Think of the banana… what colour is a banana? It helps to close your eyes.
- Pay attention to the bar and how it looks. What do you see?
Do you see chocolate chips? Berries? What colours can you see in the bar?
- How does the bar taste? Savour that taste as you chew slowly and mindfully.
- Imagine all the nutrients digesting into your body, nourishing
you and boosting your immune system. Try to visualize and feel the food going through your mouth to your belly.
- How good do you feel to eating something delicious thats also feeling your
body? Hold on to that feeling.
- Express gratitude for the bar:
‘Thank you bar for nourishing my body’
‘Thank you bar for being delicious and convenient’
‘Thank you bar for providing me with probiotics’
‘Thank you bar for tasting so yummy!’
Does the bar not taste 10x better now? Practicing mindful eating can help us to truly appreciate and enjoy our food.
Try out this mindful eating activity next time you try a Welo bar and check them out at: www.ourwelo.com
“Gurpreet Virdi-Bains is a Motherhood Blogger, Author and Founder of Aura Kids, Aura Kids is a kids mindfulness brand. To learn more visit www.aurakids.ca and follow Gurpreet on Instagram @raisingaura”
