Let’s talk about what mindful eating is all about and how it can help you keep your weight down.

What does Mindful Eating even mean?

Mindful eating is a practice that involves paying full attention to the experience of eating and drinking, both internally and externally. It's about being present in the moment and fully engaging with the process of nourishing your body.

Instead of eating mindlessly or out of habit, mindful eating encourages you to cultivate awareness of your thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations while eating. This includes being aware of hunger and fullness cues, noticing the colors, smells, textures, and flavors of the food, and being attentive to how different foods make you feel emotionally and physically.

Mindful eating also involves acknowledging and accepting your thoughts and emotions around food without judgment. This means recognizing any cravings, urges to overeat, or feelings of guilt or shame that may arise, and responding to them with kindness and compassion.

Overall, mindful eating promotes a healthier relationship with food by helping you make more conscious and intentional choices about what, when, and how you eat. It can lead to improved digestion, better satisfaction from meals, and a greater sense of overall well-being. Mindful eating is about seeing food as your friend and your ally, not something you struggle with or fight against.

Why is mindful eating so important?

In the modern world, most of us seem to eat for convenience rather than for nutrition. We eat for instant gratification rather than long-term health benefits. Can you imagine learning a new way of slow eating in which you actually get to experience the tastes and textures of your food rather than wolfing it down in a hurry or snacking on the go? You can learn to slow down and eat mindfully, any of us can! You can learn to see the food you eat as medicine that not only nourishes your whole system, but also tastes delicious.

My clients find that eating mindfully helps them to:

● Sense intuitively when they are full

● Gain way more satisfaction from eating

● Develop a healthy relationship with food

● See food as medicine

● Discover new tastes and textures

● Improve digestion (less gas and bloating)

● Regulate bowel movement

● Discover food sensitivities

● Create healthy habits that enliven them

How will I know if it’s time to learn to eat mindfully?

It may be time for you to practice mindful eating if you answer “YES” to any of these questions:

● You get bloated after eating

● You scarf down your food like there’s no tomorrow

● You eat just to feel full not to enjoy the tastes

● You eat to numb out

● You want to learn to enjoy healthy food

● You feel bloated easily

● You gain weight easily

● You crave sugar or starchy foods

● You have difficulty focusing or foggy brain

● You feel lethargic after eating

● You have allergies or hay fever

● You feel addicted to eating foods that aren’t healthy for you but you can’t stop

● You tend to gain weight easily, especially in your belly

● You have extra pounds that won’t come off with diet and exercise

What do I do now?

First of all, take a deep breath. If you answered “yes” to any of the questions, try not to judge yourself. Be curious about why you might make the choices around food that you do. The more we judge the things we seek to change, the harder they become to change. Become your best ally, not your worst enemy.

Here are 7 tips to get you started in the right direction:

1. Eat Slowly and Chew Fully

Take your time with each bite, chewing slowly and savoring the taste and texture of your food. This allows your body to properly digest the food and helps you tune into feelings of fullness.

2. Engage your senses

Notice the colors, smells, flavors, and textures of your food. Paying attention to these sensory experiences can enhance your enjoyment of the meal and keep you present in the moment.

3. Listen to your body

Tune in to your body's hunger and fullness cues. Eat when you're hungry and stop when you're comfortably satisfied, rather than eating out of habit or in response to external cues like the sight of food.

4. Eliminate distractions

Minimize distractions such as electronic devices, television, or reading materials while eating. Focus solely on the act of eating and the experience of the meal.

5. Practice gratitude

Take a moment before eating to express gratitude for the food in front of you. Reflect on where it came from and the effort that went into preparing it. This can help cultivate a deeper appreciation for your meals.

6. Portion control

Be mindful of portion sizes and serve yourself appropriate amounts of food. Pay attention to hunger and fullness signals to avoid overeating.

7. Mindful meal planning

Plan your meals ahead of time, incorporating a variety of nutritious foods that you enjoy. This can help you make healthier choices and avoid impulse eating.

In conclusion

By incorporating these tips into your eating habits, you can cultivate a more mindful approach to food that supports your overall well-being.

Remember that this is a journey and a process, and changing your eating habits doesn’t happen overnight. Be patient, be curious, don’t deprive yourself of important nutrients, and seek guidance on how to do this in a safe and healthy way. You got this!

Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor, and I'm especially not your doctor and I'm therefore not telling you how to eat. I'm simply sharing information that I've gathered and utilized over time by doing my own research and from my own experiences and the experiences of clients I’ve worked with. If you have any type of dietary restrictions or conditions, please consult with your doctor before taking on any new dietary practices.