Mindful eating
If you truly get in touch with a piece of carrot, you get in touch with the soil, the rain, the sunshine. You get in touch with Mother Earth and eating in such a way, you feel in touch with true life, your roots, and that is meditation. If we chew every morsel of our food in that way we become grateful and when you are grateful, you are happy.
I have historically done everything fast, and this included eating. I just don’t like to waste time. However, I have learnt that eating slowly and mindfully; savouring each mouthful is one of the best practices to practise.
In becoming intentional with my eating habits I have a much healthier relationship with food. The best thing is there are no restrictions on food when you are practising mindful eating because the goal is to develop awareness, positive thoughts and emotions surrounding food and eating. When we honour our personal likes, dislikes, wants and needs, we gradually develop a more sustainable approach to eating that supports us in daily life. When we diet we make food the enemy and often wind up negotiating with ourselves over what we can and cannot eat and if we deserve a ‘treat’ or not.
The concept of mindful eating relates more to how we eat as opposed to what we eat; although both are important. We need to focus on the experience of eating nourishing food and enjoy the experience, rather than mindlessly gobbling.
Some warning signs that you may be mindlessly eating are: feeling stuffed at the end of a meal; constantly grazing without a sense of hunger or satiety; feeling as though you have no control around food; or not feeling you fully experience the meal.
If we learn to listen to our hunger and satiety cues, adopting a mindful eating approach, we can move beyond binge eating and being fearful of ‘bad’ foods.
A 2013 study[i] found that people who implemented mindful eating into their lives ate smaller portions (which can be helpful for those trying to lose weight), follow a fitness regime, and maintain a nutritional balance. We also need to be aware in the supermarket and kitchen as awareness helps us to avoid choices influenced by external thoughts, emotions, or impulses. Rather we learn by our own internal knowledge of what our bodies need.
Diets play with your mind rather than your body, so if I'm doing a diet, I think about food more than if I'm just eating normally.
One strategy for mindful eating is slow down We live in such a fast paced culture where we often eat on the run or gulp down food between meetings. Everything is go, go, go. So we need to slow down the pace of eating, fully chew and swallow and breathe between mouthfuls.
When we consume food at a slower pace it gives our mind a chance to fully assess if we are still hungry, or if we are just mindlessly eating. We need to fully focus on each mouthful and only focus on the food; not other tasks. In doing this we really experience the food; the taste, smell, and texture. We need to avoid being rushed around mealtimes and schedule time to eat your meal when you have adequate time and are unlikely to be interrupted. And always sit down for the meal, don’t eat at the fridge, in the car, or on the move.
Hunger Cues to Know When to Start and Stop Eating
Hunger motivates us to eat, but sometimes what we believe are hunger cues are in fact something different: thirst, boredom, or anxiety. We need to ensure that our hunger cues are guiding our eating and hunger is not mistaken for something else. If we learn to listen to our body rather than eating according to a strict schedule we are less likely to eat when we don’t need to. It’s an important skill to develop, as emotional eating is a common problem and an easy trap to fall into. Another strategy is to ask yourself how you feel about the food you are eating. Do you feel happiness, guilt, stress, regret, disappointment, pleasure? What thoughts does the food you are eating brings to mind. Does it bring up fears or beliefs, or pleasant memories? Before and after the meal ask yourself how your body feels. Do you feel energised, lethargic, nauseous, or too full?
Eat Foods that are Nourishing to Your Body
Nourishing yourself with foods that are nutrient-dense, ensuring that you’re giving your body the nutrients it needs to function properly is essential. Food is far more than just fuelling our body. Food is about connection, pleasure, fun, experience, culture and celebration. Take note of the difference good food (fresh, seasonal, minimally processed wholefoods) makes to your mood and overall vitality compared to processed ‘junk’ foods. We need to eat for our body and mind as when we are nourishing our body and mind we feel better overall.
Another strategy is to express gratitude during mealtime. The more we appreciate and truly experience food, the more mindful and in the moment we will become when taking action and making choices. Think about all of the different components of the meal when you are eating. Think about the process that it went through to get from the farmer to the plate with gratitude.
Mindfulness is such a useful tool to create a calm and happy life and eating mindfully restores a healthy relationship between ourselves and our food.
[i] http://hdl.handle.net/2440/78537
Eating is so intimate. It's very sensual. When you invite someone to sit at your table and you want to cook for them, you're inviting a person into your life.