Slothes are cute and know how to live an easy, relaxed life. While creating our Sloth Lunch Bag with matching bento box we realized they can also teach us a few things about mindful eating…
un-distract while eating
Not much to do in those treetops where they spend all their time. So when a sloth is eating and chewing that is the entertainment du jour and they pay full attention! They sit down (or hang!) to eat and always have a smile on their little faces, undoubtedly enjoying each munch. Eating while on-the-go or watching screens has been linked to eating larger portions and less healthy food. So learn from the sloth and try hanging out with your food (only) for your next meal.
Slow down your chewing
Chewing food fully is important to unlock the nutrients and flavor in each bite. Well masticated meals also help us digest the ingredients better. Sloths have this mastered! As a frame of reference, it takes the average human around 12-48 hours to ingest, digest, and eliminate waste from food. Sloths can take 30 days to completely digest a single leaf.
get enough rest
Lack of sleep and fatigue has been linked to overeating. Sloths sleep a lot—some 15 to 20 hours every day. Maybe this helps them consistently choose perfect portions of their herbivorous meals.
eat your greens
Sloths eat leaves, shoots, and fruit from the trees where they spend all their time. They also get almost all of their water from juicy plants. Good inspiration for us to add more cruciferous veggies to our diets!
notice your hunger
Sloths don’t expend a lot of calories during the day, and they eat relatively little to match that. They also love their juicy plants, perfect for their warm, rainforest climate where they need hydration. By purposefully putting “our mind in our belly” and calmly perceiving what we’re craving we can start understanding how hungry we are, and what we hunger for, to match our choices to our needs. Maybe more shoots and leaves?
savor your food
Sloths have made a lifestyle out of their slow approach to consumption. Are they really extracting every last ounce of enjoyment from each bite? We may never know but its fun to imagine and we certainly hope so! You will also increase enjoyment of your lunches by paying attention to the flavors and experience of each forkful. Try intentionally savoring the first 3 bites of a meal and watch how it shifts your experience!
Love sloths? Learn more facts here. 🙂
Love sloth lunch boxes? Check out our Happy Dancing Sloth version on Amazon here. 🙂
