Savor

"Can we nourish both our bodies and minds in a way that tackles obesity and enhances well-being?" This book answers with a unique fusion of Buddhist wisdom and nutritional science for lasting transformation.

1. Recognize Suffering to Begin Healing

Overeating and being overweight often come with physical ailments like high blood pressure and social issues like stigma. Acknowledging this suffering is the first step toward change. According to Buddhist teachings, transformation begins with self-awareness.

Next, you must examine the roots of your suffering. Our culture promotes oversized meals, unhealthy food, and sedentary habits while negative emotions like loneliness or stress compel us to overeat. Addressing these behaviors compassionately and without judgment is key to moving forward.

Lastly, recognizing that change is possible gives you the power to act. The practice of mindfulness, which roots you in the present moment, works as the foundation for rebuilding your relationship with food, exercise, and self-care.

Examples

• People often binge eat due to stress and later regret it. Awareness can disrupt this cycle.
• Acknowledging suffering without self-blame creates room for healing instead of guilt.
• Practicing mindfulness enables you to pause and consciously reconsider unhealthy choices.

2. Practicing Mindfulness Improves Eating Habits

Most of us live distracted lives, filled with thoughts of the past or future. This “mindlessness” disconnects us from our physical and emotional realities, making it easier to overeat without thinking.

When you’re mindful, you focus fully on the present moment. Mindfulness helps you identify feelings of fullness, uncover emotional triggers for eating, and engage with food positively. For instance, mindful eating allows you to savor flavors, recognize when you're full, and avoid the urge to eat out of boredom.

Mindfulness isn't just for meals; it brings richer awareness to all aspects of life. Appreciating life’s small joys and being present provides the emotional stability needed to avoid using food as comfort.

Examples

• Use mindful breathing or pause before eating to heighten awareness of your hunger levels.
• Notice the vivid flavors, textures, and aromas of food without distractions like TV.
• Mindful contemplation can help you recognize how emotional moments drive overeating tendencies.

3. Our Connections Impact What We Consume

We are deeply connected to others and to the world. The resources it takes to create food involve people, water, energy, and ecosystems. Each bite you take is tied to a wide web of efforts.

Consumption also reflects on societal and environmental choices. Meat-heavy diets, for example, demand significantly higher water and energy resources and often involve unethical treatment of animals. Understanding these linkages encourages more thoughtful choices, like shifting to plant-based diets.

Mindfully examining the origins of your meals fosters gratitude and responsibility. Simply being aware of the effort behind your food can inspire respect for both the planet's resources and your personal health.

Examples

• Consuming a plant-based meal uses fewer environmental resources compared to eating meat.
• Consider the work behind an orange—from farmers to transportation chains.
• Being aware of food’s origin can help reduce waste or advocate for fairer production practices.

4. Nourish Your Mind as Well as Your Body

Buddhism teaches that what we “feed” our minds with is as important as what we feed our bodies. Negative influences—whether from media, toxic relationships, or personal cravings—can stir anxiety and unhappiness.

Mindfulness allows you to recognize and reject harmful influences while reinforcing positive ones. Creating intentions to foster kindness, compassion, and balance can reshape your desires in more fulfilling ways.

Aligning your actions with nourishing values reduces stress and increases overall well-being. It turns eating or other daily habits into intentional, joyful choices.

Examples

• Limit exposure to advertisements promoting unhealthy food.
• Replace unhealthy cravings with goals like fostering kindness.
• Reflect on whether the consumption of certain media, such as doomscrolling, feeds negative emotions.

5. Quality Trumps Quantity in Healthy Eating

Instead of following extreme diets, focus on improving the quality of food. For example, opt for whole grains, beans, nuts, and vegetables as your primary source of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

Good fats like olive oil or avocado improve heart health, and healthy carbs like those in whole grains provide sustained energy. On the other hand, processed foods or those high in trans fats and refined carbohydrates lead to weight and health issues.

When you emphasize balance and nutrient-dense food, you not only improve your physical health but create a positive, enjoyable relationship with meals.

Examples

• Replace white bread with whole-grain alternatives for long-lasting energy.
• Choose fish high in Omega-3s over red meats for healthy fats.
• Incorporating legumes and nuts into your meals is a healthier protein choice than processed meat.

6. Physical Movement Is Non-Negotiable for Health

Maintaining physical fitness requires balancing calories consumed with calories burned. Regular exercise aids weight loss and contributes to longevity, reduced stress, and improved mood.

The best exercise works for your routines. Even walking briskly for 2.5 hours weekly provides significant benefits. In addition to cardio, strength and flexibility training protect muscles and reduce the risk of injury.

A regular schedule for workouts and good sleep restores energy, allowing you to stay active consistently without wearing yourself out.

Examples

• Walking 2500–5000 steps daily increases endurance and supports heart health.
• Push-ups at home maintain strength without needing gym equipment.
• Stretching to maintain flexibility improves posture and avoids exercise-related injuries.

7. Breaking Free from Bad Habits

We all slip into tendencies that are easy yet unhelpful, such as watching TV while eating. These often keep us stuck in patterns of overeating or skipping exercise.

Mindfulness disrupts this autopilot. For instance, pausing before eating lets you notice if boredom or sadness is driving your behavior. Similarly, planning ahead when “time” excuses arise can help you maintain an exercise routine.

Even if you fall into old habits, don’t view it as failure. Compassionately recognize it, reset your intention, and continue.

Examples

• Keep your phone away during meals to engage fully with what you eat.
• Plan physical activities as non-negotiable parts of your day.
• Recognize and challenge “excuses”—use lunchtime for light walks instead of skipping workouts.

8. Plan Strategies to Stay on Track

Setting clear goals and writing them down makes healthy eating and regular movement easier to sustain. Tracking not only reminds you of your progress but also identifies potential challenges.

For meals, document strategies such as limiting unhealthy snacks or pairing dining changes with fun. For movement, gradually increase activity milestones to build endurance and motivation.

Seeing your progress builds confidence and self-discipline, transforming gradual improvements into a healthy lifestyle.

Examples

• Write, “Snack on veggies after dinner instead of chips,” as part of your eating strategy.
• Commit to walking longer distances gradually, starting from 20 minutes daily.
• Use reminders or partners to stay accountable for new habits.

9. Sustainable Weight Loss Goes Beyond Diets

Fad diets fail because they offer quick fixes without addressing deeper issues like emotional triggers or cultural influences. Combining mindfulness with nutritional science gives you tools to build a truly healthy lifestyle.

By reflecting on societal factors like portion sizes or sedentary habits and embracing small, present-focused changes, you weave health into your mindset. Over time, this approach is far more effective than chasing harmful diet trends.

This holistic transformation not only helps with weight loss, but it also improves emotional and spiritual well-being.

Examples

• Mindful eating slows down your meals and reduces overeating.
• Practicing gratitude for the effort behind food enriches meals beyond calories.
• Recognizing social factors like oversized portions helps adjust your choices accordingly.

Takeaways

1. Transition to whole grains and plant-based meals to support both health and sustainability.
2. Practice mindfulness during every meal by focusing completely on the experience of eating.
3. Track your habits with realistic goals for both healthy eating and exercise plans over time.