Mindful eating is a way of eating that moves you away from your thoughts and into the experience of your food. Mindful eating can also help you manage your emotions around food while bringing back the joy in the meal time experience.
Mindful eating moves you away from your thoughts and into the experience of your food.
Mindful eating is a way of eating that moves you away from your thoughts and into the experience of your food. It’s not about dieting or restricting yourself, but rather paying attention to how different foods make you feel—physically, mentally and emotionally.
It’s about being aware of what you’re eating and how it makes you feel in that particular moment.
It’s a form of meditation.
Mindful eating means being aware of the food that you are consuming. It’s about being present in the moment and paying attention to what your body needs.
Practice mindful eating by not doing anything else while you are eating — no reading, watching TV, talking on the phone or checking email.
Eating in a mindful way means you’re fully aware of what, when, and how much you’re eating. It also means eating without distractions or multi-tasking. This could mean:
- Eating alone (or with others who are also focusing on the food) in a quiet place free from distraction.
- Taking small bites and chewing slowly to fully experience the flavor of the food.
- Putting down your utensils between bites so that you don’t eat too fast or forget to enjoy each bite!
It’s important not to eat in front of the TV or computer as these types of distractions can make it easy for us to overeat without realizing it!
Mindful eating can help you recognize hunger cues and know when to stop eating so you feel satisfied but not over-full.
Mindful eating can help you recognize hunger cues and know when to stop eating so you feel satisfied but not over-full. In fact, mindful eating is all about recognizing the signs of being full and satisfied. Here are some ways that you can do it:
- Be conscious of what you’re eating. You should be aware of everything that goes into your mouth, from food textures and flavors to social context (for example, why are you eating).
- Eat slowly enough for your brain to catch up with your stomach’s signals. It takes 20 minutes for our stomach to tell our brains that we are full; if we eat too quickly, we’ll likely overeat before our bodies have had a chance to send us those messages! This doesn’t mean chewing each bite 50 times or anything like that — just take enough time between bites so that you appreciate each one.
Eating mindfully is about noticing rather than judging.
This is about being present, noticing what you are eating and how it makes you feel. It is about being aware of the taste, texture and smell of food. It is about paying attention to how your body feels after a meal: full or hungry?
When we’re in the process of eating something delicious, our minds often wander off into far-away places. We might think back on our day at work or plan an upcoming vacation. . Or maybe we start thinking about what we need to do today – pay bills, clean the house, go grocery shopping… The list goes on.
Fight mindless/emotional eating by being in the moment when you eat.
- Mindful eating is a form of meditation that helps you focus on what you’re eating.
- It’s not about dieting; it’s about being in the moment when you eat, which can help decrease mindless and emotional eating.
- When we eat mindlessly, we tend to think about other things while we are eating, which usually distracts us from the meal or snack itself.
Next time you sit down to eat, try the mindful eating method. It doesn’t matter if you are at home or at your favorite restaurant — just take a few minutes to enjoy the experience, you might surprise yourself!
Want to dive more into Mindful Eating? Join my Facebook Community – Ditching the diet at https://www.facebook.com/groups/foodfreedomwithash/