Stress Management Workshop Explores Mindful Eating

A four–week workshop series to teach mindfulness and stress management is being taught at Art in the Loft, and last week attendees were schooled in mindful eating.

The class was taught by Melissa Tolan–Halleck, a registered dietitian from the V.A. Her goal for the class was to slow down the eating process, have participants be mindfully aware of what they were eating, and help them create a healthier relationship with food.

“If we ate mindfully, then we wouldn’t overeat. And we would eat things that make us feel good. When we eat things that make us feel good they include nutrients. They include things that were grown in a healthy, safe environment,” says Tolan-Halleck.

The dietitian says if she can get participants to understand and practice mindfulness in their daily lives, it can deeply affect their health, happiness and overall well–being.

“We’re really helping people understand how to pay attention to themselves, and to be able to pay attention to the moment. And if we can do that, we’re going to handle stress better, we’re going to handle chronic conditions better,” the dietitian adds.

The unique workshop required participants to eat in silence for 5 minutes, which was difficult, but allowed them to have a heightened experience of eating food. One participant says the program has helped her address one of her personal health goals.

“Mindfulness in eating entails getting the portion you need without overeating, which was one of my goals.”

The mindfulness workshops have been taking place every Thursday at Art in the Loft. Participants have one more week to complete the mindfulness and stress management workshop.