What is MINDFUL EATING? 10 Things You Should Know!

https://youtu.be/MidtW07Qf14

Be sure to check this resource: 7 Minute Mindfulness

Contents:

What is Mindful Eating? It is a mental practice of making yourself aware of your attitude and choices about meals, eating and food. Mindful eating is “in the moment” thinking about the food and drink you are putting in your body.

As you will learn in this video, mindful eating becomes a way of life. It is easy to implement and has lots of health benefits. It helps you to connect with your body and world. It relaxes you and helps you cope with anxiety.

As you change your relationship with food your health will improve greatly. You will get greater pleasure from food and develop an appreciation for all that is involved in getting your meal to your table. You will make better health choices more consciously and improve your general outlook on life!

Here is a transcript of the video: “Mindful Eating: 10 Things You Should Know!”

In this video you will learn how mindful eating can have a huge impact on your health and enjoyment of life. But first, some questions.

When was your last meal? What did you eat? How did you feel? Like many of us, did you eat on the go, or try to multitask during the time you were eating? Most of us have been guilty at some time or other of not being fully aware of our food consumption. With all the things that life bombards us with, it is all too easy to forget how important eating is for our body, mind and soul. So, what can we do?

Mindful eating to the rescue and yes your body and mind will thank you.

So let’s get started with our countdown, 10 things you should know about mindful eating.

Number 10: What is mindful eating?

Mindfulness has been described as a state of being aware of something or a mental state gained by focusing attention on your feelings and bodily sensations. You need to be focused in the present moment and be calm. You may ask “How does mindfulness relate to food or eating?” It is a mental practice of making yourself aware of your attitude and choices about meals, eating and food.

Mindful eating is “in the moment” thinking about the food and drink you are putting in your body. Your focus goes onto observing how the food makes you feel and the signals your body gives the brain about taste, satisfaction and fullness. As with most mindfulness techniques you need to acknowledge and accept your thoughts and feelings towards food rather than judge yourself.  By using mindful eating, you can become healthier, enjoy your meals and prevent yourself from overeating.

Number 9: What is the purpose of mindfulness and why is it important?

The most important part of any journey is to have a destination or purpose. You need to develop this as your foundation for mindful eating. So, stop and ask yourself these questions:

• What do I want to accomplish by doing mindful eating?
• What am I looking for in this experience?
• Do I want to nourish my body?
• Do I want to enjoy eating?
• Do I want to become healthier?

When we honestly examine our motives behind eating and align this with what we are feeding ourselves, only then will we value the importance of food and our relationship with it.

Number 8: Why you must slow down now

When we are in the vortex of our stressful lives, eating can take second place. It is vital that we step back and remember mindful eating. Do not rush! Slowly does it! Eating on the go defeats the purpose of mindful eating. If your mind is distracted you cannot focus on the food you are eating and you end up overeating. Eating unhurriedly is an essential step in maintaining mindful eating as it allows the body to communicate its nutritional needs.

The body is a wonderful thing as it sends out signals to the brain 20 minutes after it feels satisfied. Amazing!  Even small things matter; are you sitting down to eat?  Look at your posture, are you sitting straight? Chew slowly and deliberately, pause before taking your next bite.  Eating a meal should be your time to reconnect with your body. Let your taste buds be tantalized by what you are putting in your mouth. This will help you control what you eat and how much you take in.

Let’s just take 15 second break to encourage you to study mindfulness not only in eating but in all aspects of life. The results can be amazing! See the links to resources in the Description below.

Number 7: Love yourself enough to listen to your body

Just like healthy relationships need good communication to thrive, mindfulness depends on communication with your body. It is essential to listen and respond to your body’s signals for hunger and fullness. This will prevent you from over eating and what is known as gastronomic guilt. When you truly listen to your body’s levels of fullness you can regulate your digestion.

Good digestion is vital for your body to absorb nutrients and minerals.  As you continue on your journey with mindful eating you will learn to eat only when you are truly hungry and stop when you are feeling full. You have to pay attention to good digestion and pause to give your body time to acknowledge its hunger levels.

Number 6: Mindfulness can expose emotional triggers

As we go about life, we have stressors and emotions that can get in the way of optimum health. We try different things to satisfy our emotional needs, relieve stress and cope with the unpleasant experiences of life. We don’t want to feel sad, lonely or bored. So most of us reach for something else. Often times it is food, and unhealthy or junk food may seem like the quickest and easiest option. Emotional eating is one such way we try to cope with life but unfortunately it isn’t good for us.

We may snack without necessarily thinking. We need to find out what our emotional triggers are and find better coping strategies. Being mindful can help us to identify issues and address them. Ask yourself; why am I hungry? Am I really hungry? Is there something else that is bothering me?  The more we get in touch with our emotions the better we can make decisions including doing alternative activities other than emotional eating. Go for a walk, meditate or simply stop, breathe, and enjoy nature.

We are at the half way point with our countdown! Have you found it helpful so far? Let’s continue with 10 things you should know about mindful eating.

Number 5: Mindfulness can prevent other health issues

Weight gain, digestive stress and the like are caused by not being mindful of our eating habits. Your brain needs time to process that you are eating and also when you are full. This can take up to 20 minutes. If you are busy with other things, you can very easily ignore the telling signs that you have eaten too much. Lack of awareness of what we are taking into our bodies can contribute to obesity and other health issues.

Over indulging can have negative health consequences due to not being able to digest food properly and our bodies not being able to absorb nutrients it needs as a consequence. Mindful eating can help fight damage caused by inflammation. Other benefits include a stable sleep schedule and improved mood regulation.

Number 4: Mindfulness helps us make good decisions about food

Mindfulness helps us when shopping. It will make us more conscious of our choices. Do not go shopping when you are hungry! When shopping you must look and think about the health value of every item you will purchase. Make a list of items you need to avoid impulse buying. Learn the layout of the shop and stick to the fresh produce section and avoid the aisles that have processed foods.

Mindful eating makes us more aware of the different types of food available. There are so many different varieties of food, such as fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, which are much healthier. But you might think that this limits you to only healthy food which may not appear so attractive. However, you’re not stuck, as yes, you can indulge every now and then with that burger and fries. Start with small changes such as a few meals a week and develop more mindfulness as you develop your plan of mindful eating. 

OK, we are at the final 3 things you should know about mindful eating.

Number 3: Mindful eating is a nourishing experience and not a diet

Has eating become a mindless task? This need not be so! Eating can be an enjoyable nourishing experience. Mindful eating is not a fad or diet; it is simply thinking about how we eat and allowing ourselves to enjoy food and experience good health. No, you do not need to be perfect and always eat the correct things on some food list. You do not have to follow strict rules for example counting how many calories you eat at every meal. Rather you can feel more relaxed but focused on all your senses. 

When we take the time to sit down and think about our food choices, we can make better decisions that nourish our bodies. You do not have to be fanatical but it is important to be flexible especially on special occasions. You may have to change your eating habits at different times of the year and for different occasions. Planning ahead will assist you when you face these challenges.  

Unless you are a farmer you likely have not thought about where your food comes from, beyond the supermarket. Mindful eating gives us the opportunity to connect with nature. Think of the farmer or harvesters that planted or collected the produce. Think about the soil, water and other elements of nature.  As we make better choices, we can support sustainability projects and this will affect the world for the better.

Number 2: Mindful eating helps us develop new beneficial habits

Mindful eating makes us aware of the people involved in a meal, and the effort in preparing a meal.  We can develop an appreciation for the experience of eating. Mindful eating encourages us to sit and enjoy eating without distractions. It motivates us to take the needed break from work and physical activities. Mindful eating is part of developing stable emotions and creating an attitude of gratitude. 

We can express gratitude for the food that we have or the meal that was lovingly prepared for us. Take a look at the people that you are enjoying your meal with and take the time to talk and bond with them. When we think proactively about meals and snacks, we won’t be tempted to just wander through our kitchen cupboards, eating at random times and places. Arranging and organizing your kitchen according to mindful eating principles will encourage healthy eating.

We want to develop healthy environmental cues for good eating habits.  Place your food on a plate or in a bowl. Do not eat out of the container! Mindful eating can help us to think about cultural traditions, recipes and stories that involve the dishes we are eating.

Number 1: Mindful eating focuses on you

 Your body needs you to unplug and replenish. You deserve a break, every part of you including you mind and body. Step away from the things that distract you, focus on your health. Put the focus back on you and this will help you be more relaxed and focus on what is important as you continue your day. Mindful eating allows your body to cherish itself as you put mindful eating principles into practice.

Well that completes our countdown, but a final question: Are you now motivated?

As you have learnt in this video mindful eating becomes a way of life. It is easy to implement and has lots of health benefits. It helps you to connect with your body and world. It relaxes you and helps you cope with anxiety. As you change your relationship with food your health will improve greatly. You will get greater pleasure from food and develop an appreciation for all that is involved in getting your meal to your table. You will make better health choices more consciously and improve your general outlook on life!

Be sure to check this resource:
7 Minute Mindfulness

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