Mindful Eating

Mindfulness is a real thing. We can often be tempted to think that it is just the latest fad but it isn’t. Being mindful is something I am working on as I can see the importance ranging from mindful driving, mindful exercising to mindful eating. They all matter.

Too many of us eat mindlessly while watching the TV or whilst having a full blown conversation. Others pick at food non-stop and wonder why they no longer have an appetite when the food is served.

I have had many conversations with people who are trying to lose weight who say they don’t eat that much but close observation reveals mindless eating.

This means their brains are not fully registering the fact that they’ve eaten so they keep eating resulting in stagnated weight loss.

When we eat mindlessly, our brains don’t record that we have eaten and quite often we don’t know when to stop. This needs to change.

So what can we do about mindless eating?

Be aware of your eating habits

When do you eat? How do you eat and where do you eat? Is your dining table for show, doing homework or a junk yard for newspapers? If so, change it now.

Make a mental or physical note of your answers to these questions including – do you eat while watching the TV or during a game? Do you eat while conversing feverishly with others? Do you eat distracted?

Take ownership of your eating habits

No one can make you eat mindfully because you’ve got the power. Take charge of your eating habit as no one else will.

Why not take a step today to make meal times more sacred. Turn off the TV, use the dining table, maintain the right posture sitting upright. Light a candle if you’re so inclined.

The key point is to create a calm atmosphere when you eat. Eat slowly and chew your food well. Appreciate the chef and engage all your five senses when you eat. Pay attention to the smells, textures, temperatures, tastes and presentation of the food. Be thankful for the food on your table.

When you do this, you will enjoy your food more, eat less quantity, and have deeper conversations with those around you. Your brain will trigger the right messages at the right time and you will be satiated.

In the same way that we can drive home and not remember how we got there, we can also eat and not remember what and when we ate or how the food tasted. This can make us crave other unhealthy snacks.

Stay on the wagon

Sometimes with the best will and intentions in the world, we fall off the wagon and go back to the old ways of doing things. This is part of life.

If you find yourself going back to those poor choices, just pause and remind yourself of what’s at stake – your health.

You’re worth so much more than you can ever imagine so do everything you need to do to treat your body right. Get back on the wagon.

Thanks for reading my post and please share this with others. Let’s be purposeful about our health. Have a great week.