Practicing Moderation

Eliminating, reducing, or avoiding extremes is the process or quality of moderation. It is employed to guarantee uniformity across the medium being used. Being moderate is acting in a sensible and non-excessive manner. As we practice Mussar, we can also work on the soul attribute of moderation. We demonstrate our ability to learn other Mussar qualities when we are able to exercise moderation. Let's examine some ways that we can exercise moderation and we’ll use food for an example of how to practice moderation.

How to Practice Moderation

1. Exercising Control

Being moderate entails exercising control, staying away from excesses and extremes, and exercising caution. Keep in mind that moderation does not mean avoiding ice cream and overindulging in celery sticks. Overcoming a feast or famine mentality could be difficult if you are accustomed to dieting. Permit yourself to eat what you like when you take a seat at the table. A small portion of dessert is acceptable, but avoid eating the entire cake.

2. Being Mindful

Put a bite of food in your mouth, set your fork down, chew it carefully, swallow, and take a deep breath. Try this exercise at the dinner table. Slowing down and meditating during meals while using all of your senses is one method to practice moderation. Take a moment to appreciate the food's flavor, texture, and aroma between bites. Additionally, aim to extend the duration of your meal by at least 30 minutes.

3. Monitor Your Surroundings

As the proverb goes, "Eat to live, don't live to eat." You may have heard it. Pay close attention to your family members seated around the table when you settle down to dinner. Talk to them, laugh, enjoy their company, and avoid becoming fixated on your meal. Avoid using a computer or watching television while eating as these activities can cause you to lose awareness of when you are full.

4. Visual

It can be necessary to use visual tricks to retrain your brain to be content with smaller quantities if you have a tendency of eating enormous meals. To ensure that a single serving will fill your plate, use smaller dishes, cups, and plates. Measure out one serving using a food scale after reading nutrition labels. Without the scale, you will eventually be able to picture what a suitable portion looks like.

5. Organizing

Learning to practice moderation can benefit from preparation, at least in the beginning. Consider what you will eat for snacks the following day, for example, in the evening. Next, portion each snack into a single serving size and place them in a tiny bag. You could be tempted to eat a lot of whatever is available to you if you wait until you are hungry.