There is quite a bit of talk these days about mindful living and for good reason. When we are mindful and live in the moment, we get to slow down enough to experience life.
Mindful eating is a lot like mindful living. The goal is to be aware and in-tune with what your body needs and what you are putting in your mouth.
A few years back, I developed the habit of standing at my kitchen counter when I ate a meal by myself. At one time, I thought multi-tasking was a good idea and would actually eat lunch or dinner while emptying the dishwasher or cleaning the kitchen.
I began to take myself to my kitchen table, sit through my meal and think about the food I was eating.
The results were amazing. Not only did I start to feel more relaxed, but I also noticed I was able to think clearer and therefore, I was able to get more done.
And guess what?
I found I did not eat as much; I did not end up with a stomach ache or regrets of overeating.
The benefits of mindful eating:
- Helps promote better digestion
- Keeps you full with less food
- Lower Cortisol levels by reducing stress
- Make better food choices
- Helps with weight loss
Mindful eating allows you to enjoy the experience while simultaneously eating no more or no less than your body requires. You may notice that you feel fuller and more satisfied at the end of your meal.
Mindful meal-time tips
Mindful Eating helps to put the brakes on binge-eating or out-of-control eating. It also helps to prevent eating out of boredom, stress, or as a method of soothing emotional discomfort or pain.
- Go solo! Make eating an exclusive event and do not invite along the TV, your phone, or other distractions. (if dining out with a friend, decide ahead of time what you will order, drink and how fast you will eat)
- Go slowly. Eating slowly helps you to better recognize your hunger and understand when you are full. Really chew your food well (like your mother taught you) and try putting your fork down between bites. The first one done does not win the race.
- Go for quality over quantity. Remember, when we have more food on our plate, we tend to eat more.
- Set the stage: Try lighting a few candles, perhaps put a little more effort into setting the table and play some relaxing music for your dinner meal.
- Don’t skip meals: When you show up at the dinner table starving, it is harder to slow down and it is the time when we often eat more than we had planned on.
- Bring back family dinner time: If your family has developed a habit of filling their plates and wondering away to sit in front of the TV or to other areas of the house, rope them back to the table. I am a big fan of family dinner time. It is a wonderful way to catch up with each other and is helpful in preventing you to pace instead of race through your meal.
Sometimes it’s the littlest changes in our behaviors and habits that bring about the greatest change. I hope you will try one or two of these tips.
Let me know how it goes.
