How many times have you finished a meal and then realised that you barely have any recollection of eating it?
It’s very easy to find ourselves scrolling through Instagram while you’re scoffing a sandwich on your lunchbreak, or watching TV as you eat dinner. But this isn’t doing us any good at all.
By not paying attention to what we are eating, we aren’t taking the time to think about we are putting into our bodies. We’re not enjoying our food, and we’re eating mindlessly either because we’re distracted or because we’re eating as a response to stress.
Here’s where mindful eating can help – and it’s something I highly recommend to my clients.
What is mindful eating?
Mindful eating is the practice of eating and enjoying your food with all your senses. You are paying full attention to what you are eating and how your body feels, rather than looking at a screen.
Why should I practice mindful eating?
Mindful eating can help to enhance the enjoyment of food as we are focusing on the task at hand – and nothing else.
It can be particularly useful for those people who tend towards emotional eating. Many of us eat for the sake of it – because we are bored, anxious, or stressed – rather than because we are actually hungry.
It takes your brain 20 minutes to realise that you are full after eating. By eating mindfully you are, by default, eating more slowly. This gives your body the chance to digest your food properly and notice whether you are in fact still hungry. In doing this, you can prevent overeating and find it easier to maintain a healthy body weight.
Remember how I believe that you can have a bit of everything in moderation? By practising mindful eating you can allow yourself to choose a food based on what you body feels like at that moment, enjoy it- and stop when you are truly satisfied.
When you take the time to think about what you are eating, rather than consuming food without purpose, we lean towards healthier options, snack less, and reduce the tendency to eat as a response to stress.
How do I do it?
Pay attention to all of your senses as you eat your meal.
- SOUND (e.g. the crunch or snap of a biscuit or cracker)
- SIGHT (e.g. fresh, a beautiful green colour)
- SMELL (e.g. can you smell the fresh tomatoes?)
- TOUCH (e.g. is it warm or cold?)
- TASTE (e.g. sweet, sour, salty or bitter?)
Listen to how your body feels – and stop eating when you are satisfied rather than full.
If you would like to learn more about mindful eating or change your relationship with food, please don’t hesitate to contact Jess to arrange a consultation.