Mindful eating and drinking is a practice we incorporate into all of our retreats at H20 Yoga and Meditation Center, bringing awareness to the importance of slowing down to reconnect with ourselves, our environment and our true nature of peace.
Taking extra long to chew our food by taking simply one bite at a time and then placing the bowl down between each mouthful and drinking in slow sips, benefits us upon every level of our being. Physically, eating mindfully produces more saliva, aids effective digestion and absorption of nutrients, which brings great health benefits to our body and mind upon every level.

Slowing down to eat our food mindfully brings deeper clarity to our concentration on the fully present moment in which we immerse ourselves.

Through enjoying our meals as sincerely as our intention to improve our Asana and our meditation, we grow into full appreciation of our practice which extends into not just our sitting or walking meditation, but in all of our activities; becoming our engaged meditation.
The importance of mindful eating is very clearly stipulated by Vietnamese Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh in the following passage.

The Tea Ceremony by Thich Nhat Hanh

You must be completely awake in the present to enjoy the tea.
Only in the awareness of the present, can your hands feel the pleasant warmth of the cup.
Only in the present, can you savor the aroma, taste the sweetness, appreciate the delicacy.
If you are ruminating about the past, or worrying about the future, you will completely miss the experience of enjoying the cup of tea.
You will look down at the cup, and the tea will be gone.
Life is like that.
If you are not fully present, you will look around and it will be gone.
You will have missed the feel, the aroma, the delicacy and beauty of life.
It will seem to be speeding past you. The past is finished.
Learn from it and let it go.
The future is not even here yet. Plan for it, but do not waste your time worrying about it.
Worrying is worthless.
When you stop ruminating about what has already happened, when you stop worrying about what might never happen, then you will be in the present moment.
Then you will begin to experience joy in life.