Gardening as a tool for Mindful Eating

Gardening is a multidimensional teaching method that I use on a daily basis. I utilize the garden to help residents who are in recovery for disordered eating to regain a positive relationship with food. The garden allows for the residents to be hands on with nature. They are responsible for planting, and tending to the garden. They get a hands on experience on what it feels like to nurture something. The garden is also a helpful tool to use to practice mindful eating. We recently harvested carrots that we planted and used the carrots to practice mindfulness. The residents closed their eyes and felt the different ridges and bumps of the carrots and also small the tops of the carrots. They described what they were able to feel, smell and taste. We tasted them raw, and then made a carrot top pesto and roasted honey glazed carrots. The residents express that it is helpful for them to use mindfulness around food. The use gardening as a useful tool to remind them where food comes from and that if you can nurture a garden you can also nurture yourself.