MindFul Eating
MindFul Eating
When we think of eating right, eating healthy, eating to remain fit – do we really think about our internal body and how nutritionally or functionally fit we are?
When we say “eat mindfully” it means that one should eat with all your physical as well as emotional senses to feel and relish the food choice; making your food nutritious as well as pleasurable.
How does mindful eating work?
It focuses on many factors along with increased consciousness without discernment:
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Experience of eating
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Sensation of your body while eating
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Perception
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Fondness for food
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Attentively choosing the food
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Both internal as well as external physical signals
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Responding to those signals
Mindful eating
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Looking at a broader spectrum of the entire meal like from where the food has come, how was it made and who made it
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Considering the signals impact on how much we eat
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Observing look and feel of the meal along with taste and smell as we eat
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To concede how the body is feeling once you complete the meal
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Gratitude
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Consciously doing deep breathing exercises or meditation before or after your meals
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Selecting food which will have both local and global environmental benefits
7 practices given to us by Thich Nhat Hanh and Dr. Lilian Cheung on Mindful Eating
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Honor the food you eat – To be aware of the place where the food is grown, and who has made the meal. Utmost important is to eat peacefully to get maximum benefits of the food eaten and enjoy its experience.
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To involve all the senses – To perceive sound, colour, smell, taste, texture of the entire meal and the feeling you get while you are eating – therefore eating slowly and chewing your food is one practice we should incorporate in every meal.
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Controlled portion size – Prevents overeating, wastage of food. Using a small plate will help achieve the same.
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Take small bites and chew – As mentioned above this habit will help you to enjoy your meal and you will be able to experience its flavors.
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Eating slowly – Make a conscious effort to eat slowly this prevents overeating and you are satisfied after you have completed the meal.
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Avoid skipping meals – Large gaps in between meals increase hunger pangs and tendency to eat more in the next meal increases and one may indulge in wrong eating practices.
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Encourage plant-based foods/ diet – This helps the environment and has long term health benefits.
Why should one eat mindfully ?
May help reduce anxiety, weight fluctuations and overeating. We can make small changes in the our lifestyle like avoid eating when you are watching television, driving, working, ipad/ tablet,talking on the phone – these changes will help us enjoy our meal, increase satisfaction therefore indirectly reducing overeating.
Evidence based studies have shown that eating consciously has shown positive benefits on emotional eating and binge eating which are directly related to obesity and other related risk factors.
Conscious eating is a skill which one can develop over a period of time where one begins to welcome positive thoughts and emotions without preset notions and also helps to understand the difference between hunger pangs and emotional eating.
When mindful eating becomes a daily practice the choices of food selected improves e.g. picking a fruit over a chocolate or sweet, taking small portions of calorically dense foods.
Can we strategically include mindful eating in adolescents?
Yes, if we consciously follow the above practices mentioned at an early stage it becomes a part of our lifestyle and it begins to grow with us.
There has been emerging data on unhealthy eating practices in adults and why is it? Because of incorrect eating practices followed at a young age.
Have we ever thought of why so many children are low in self confidence, indulge into wrong eating practices which could be extreme like binge eating also called as emotional eating or starving oneself – both affecting them physically as well as psychologically – eventually leading to malnourishment (in both cases overweight or obesity and underweight).
Stop Cravings for Unhealthy Food & Sugar
Crux of mindful eating is:
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Facilitate any eating pattern
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Increases psychological state of mind
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Increases gratification
When combined with nutrition:
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Select healthy food options
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Chances of reducing risk of non – communicable diseases like obesity, diabetes, heart disease etc.
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Promotes weight management
