A smile can be contagious.  When I lived in London I would smile as much as possible because I was fed up of seeing all the sad, frustrated, pained faces.  It made me so happy if I smiled at a stranger and they reciprocated, and if they didn’t that was fine too.  Also, on the days when I wasn’t smiling the smile of a passing stranger would often mean so much.  Smiling helps me to remember all the positive things in my life and as I have written about previously gratitude and positivity can be so healing. So what brings a smile to your face?  For me it can be many things – the sunshine in the morning, seeing my husband smile, cycling, speaking to a good friend, a warm shower, taking time to sit and take some deep breaths when everything is busy. In the past food probably would have been on my list.  I thought it made me smile but really it didn’t, for me it was a distraction from feeling my feelings.  A block to how I really felt.  At that time I piled on the pounds and became more miserable and turned more to food, the food was healthy, that was how I justified it, but the pattern and the negative thinking was unhealthy.  A vicious cycle.  With awareness of this I began to find things that really did make me smile.  The journey was not easy but certainly worthwhile.  For me it involved personal growth,….

How often, when you are eating, are you truly aware of what is on the plate or how the food tastes?  Do you eat whilst watching the TV, or listening to the radio, or do you read the newspaper whilst you chow-down?  What about emotions, does the slightest hint of stress or worry send you to the refrigerator or cupboards or do you stop to really feel how you feel and name the emotion – anger, sadness, joy, gratitude, anxiety etc?   Being mindful of how the body feels, physical sensations, as well as what emotions may be present is something that I learned when beginning meditation.  Then, when studying with the National Centre for Eating Disorders I learned that being mindful can be helpful to those who suffer with eating disorders and obesity/overweight.  “Mindful eating” describes a nonjudgmental awareness of physical and emotional sensations associated with eating.   I have an experiment for you.  Next time you are having a meal sit down at a table that you have laid, before you begin eating look at the plate in front of you, notice what is on it.  Don’t be judgemental or critical, just notice what is there.  Then notice how you feel in your body physically, is there any tightness, lightness, physical feelings?  Then notice how you feel – are you anxious, anticipating, sad, stressed from a hard day.  Just notice it all.  Then put some food into your mouth, put your knife and fork down and chew the….