Mindful Eating

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We hear a lot about mindfulness in all areas of our lives these days, but have you ever considered mindful eating? 

In our fast paced lives we often grab food because it’s time to eat, we are stressed or we are bored.  Often we aren’t even thinking about it and many times eating while working at our desk or in front of the tv.      

What is mindful eating?

Mindful eating is basing our meals on physical cues such as our bodies feeling of hunger, versus emotional ones.  It is about allowing yourself to become aware of the positive opportunities that are available through food selection. It has been associated with lower body weights, a greater sense of well-being and fewer symptoms of eating disorders.   Mindful eating can transform your relationship with food.  

It is a practice of eating slower and with intention.  It is about noticing responses to the food we eat whether positive or negative without judgement. It’s about becoming aware of physical hunger and satiety cues to help guide you.  The true form is eating in complete silence and paying attention to the texture and taste of each bite.  This isn’t realistic in our lives, but there are still ways we can incorporate it to reap the benefits.  

 

Eating mindfully involves:

  • Acknowledging that there is no right or wrong way to eat

  • Directing your attention to eating when you are having a snack or meal

  • Recognizing how you make choices that support health and well-being

  • Promoting balance, choice, and acceptance.

 

Why mindful eat?

There are a lot of benefits in eating mindfully. Studies have reported that eating mindfully can reduce physiological distress such as depression, anxiety, stress, and eating behaviours including binge eating.  Mindful eating has also resulted in weight loss in overweight and obese people.  

Rather than focusing on restricting calories, mindful eating provides a way to improve the body’s natural ability to control an eating behaviour. It can help change unwanted eating patterns.

Ways to incorporate mindful eating

1.     Eat slower – Take time to savour each bite and enjoy the flavours.  Slowing down your pace of eating is one of the healthiest things you can do.  You will more than likely notice when you are full, your food will digest better because you are chewing more and most likely you will enjoy the flavours more.  It takes about 20 minutes for your brain to register being full so slow down, take lots of bites and put your fork down between bites to slow your meal down.  

2.     Listen to your body – Is your stomach growling?  Is your energy low?  Too often we eat for emotional reasons of stress, boredom, anger and don’t listen to our body for the actual hunger cues it gives us.   Also start to become aware of the effects of eating out of boredom or sadness or overeating – how does it make you feel mentally and physically?

3.     Turn off the phone and TV – Make mealtime a technology free time.  Spend the time talking and enjoying your food.  Just focus on eating and the meal in front of you, don’t multi-task while eating.

4.     Know your food – Understand what you are eating and where it came from. This helps your relationship with food and may help make healthier choices as well.  If you think about something that came fresh from a farm versus chemicals in packaged foods you are likely to make a different choice. 

I challenge you to give mindful eating a try for a week and notice any changes.  Are you listening to your satiety cues better?   Are you making healthier food choices? Are you eating less for emotional reasons? 

Keep at it and if you notice that you might need some support reach out!