Mindful Eating

Mindful eating is part of the four-pronged approach to eating known as the CAMP system.

The goal of the CAMP system is to "bring sense and dignity back to eating." This system is named for its components which spell out the diet's foundation:

• C – Control over eating
• A – Attitudes about food
• M – Mindfulness of eating
• P – Portion strategies

One of the basic ideas behind mindful eating is what the CAMP system calls unskilled eaters. This takes in people who make mindless choices about eating. If you're wondering if you fit into this category, mindless eating includes eating:

• Inattentively
• For wrong purposes
• Without a sense of power or control

The theory behind mindless eating is that it leads to imbalances, unhappiness and eventually to excess weight.

Learning to eat mindfully corrects the imbalances mentioned above. People who follow the CAMP system become equipped to make good choices naturally and to reclaim power over food. Instead of mindless eating, mindfulness brings about awareness to food and portion choices and a sense of happiness that filters into all aspects of life.

The CAMP System has specific goals designed to help dieters. These goals include helping dieters:

1. Find control over food that has been given away
2. Bring wakefulness to eating
3. By providing strategies with every meal, snack and bite
4. To bring dieters back into balance and harmony with food

Those following the CAMP System and mindful eating or those who want to learn more can visit www.MindfulEating.org. This site is educational in nature and provides strategies, tools and techniques that train dieters to be more mindfulness to their eating. These include items like:

• The 50/80 Rule
• The STOP Method
• Deep Tasting
• The CAMP Cut
• The Mindful Doughnut

Since the key to success for the CAMP System is to change your thinking, Mindful Eating cards are among the tools made available to help train the mind. These cards are laminated and provide ways to practice three areas of mindful eating. The cards are served with any meal or snack. Dieters move the marking stone like a game piece which is a colored glass stone provided with the cards. They place it on one of the stations on the card and then follow the instructions provided by that station. Each time they move the stone to a new station, they are instructed to practice a different activity. Mindful Eating cards cover:

The Path of Awakening card includes 16 stations that waken dieters to aspects of food including but not limited to:

• Flavor
• Sound
• Spices
• Sacrifice

As much as people like to eat, you may be surprised to learn that most people don't really pay attention to the act of eating. This card trains dieters to do just that through bringing about awareness of:

• The movement of muscles
• The action of chewing
• Level of hunger
• And four more actions

The Circle of Arriving card makes dieters mindful to food through five intense activities like chewing by the count and carefully observing food.

If you feel like your eating is out of control and you'd like to regain control, perhaps the Camp System's mindful eating is the answer. It takes the emphasis off what you eat and places it on how you eat. So if you are unhappy with your weight and struggle with cravings that control you, perhaps the CAMP System could provide a lasting solution to your dieting roller coaster ride.

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