Mindful Eating

Mindful Eating

Healthy eating habits don’t only involve what we are eating but also how we are eating. As everyone leads such busy lives it’s often rare to be able to take the time to stop and enjoy food with minimal distractions, this means not at our work desk or in front of the TV!

Mindful eating is the practice of eating with all our senses and it encourages a positive relationship with food and the body. It teaches us to give our attention to the smell, taste and texture of our food, the environment we are eating in and how our food came to be in front of us.

Paying close attention to every bite not only allows us to savour and appreciate our food but it also teaches us to become more aware of how satisfied we feel and which foods contributed this feeling. Eating slowly and mindfully also gives us a chance to tune in to our body’s cues of hunger and fullness, which is the key to eating for both health and satisfaction.

Ask yourself

Do you ever continue eating when you’re already full just because there is still food in front of you? Or despite being full you aren’t satisfied and go looking for something sweet? Perhaps like me (more times than I will admit to), you have found yourself in front of the TV with an empty plate a very little recollection of eating?

These are all signs of mindless eating, where full attention or consideration wasn’t given. When we eat mindlessly or without thinking, we don’t think of the taste of the food much after the first few bites. As a result, we enjoy our food less and are left feeling unsatisfied.

Tips to eat more mindfully:

-          Eat Slowly – Allow 20 minutes for a main meal

-          Eat without distractions – Try to eat with someone else, conversation is also a perfect way to slow down your meal

-          Rate your hunger and fullness before, during and after meals using the scale below – Try to stay within the ideal zone

-          Know that you don’t have to finish all the food on your plate! Even at a restaurant, shocking I know!