In recent decades, mindfulness meditation has taken the West by storm. As a result, more and more people are experiencing less stress and more fulfillment in their life by “staying in the moment.” Well, mindfulness can be applied to any area of your life, including eating!
You may have heard of mindful eating before and assumed it had something to do with eating more slowly and chewing your food longer. And while these two considerations are part of the practice, they only scratch the surface.
Guidelines for Mindful Eating
You may be wondering why you should even begin to explore mindful eating. Well, the main reason is that the practice can help you to lose weight and easily maintain a healthy weight. This of course helps you to prevent the development of certain chronic diseases such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.
Health benefits aside, eating mindfully also puts a lot of joy in your life. Most people no longer savor their meals but instead wolf them down while mindlessly watching TV or surfing the Internet. Mindful eating reminds you to savor your food and, in reality, savor every moment of this delicious life!
Here are some ways to get you started:
1. Eat only when you’re hungry.
Refrain from eating because you are feeling intense emotions. Instead, become aware of hunger and satiety cues to guide your decisions on when to eat.
2. Create your shopping list with nutrient-rich foods in mind.
Notice what you are adding to your list… or your shopping cart. Consider why you’re choosing the item and then select the things that have real health value.
3. Start with smaller portions.
Remember – you can always have a second helping. But you may be surprised how often those second helpings aren’t needed when you eat slowly.
4. Slow down.
Many of us eat while we’re doing other things. Sometimes we call it multi-tasking… other times it’s because we’re distracted by tv or some other kind of screen. This distraction or busyness can lead to eating quickly. When we eat quickly we’re most likely not fully chewing our food – which can lead to poor digestion.
5. Enjoy each bite of your food.
Taste all the flavors and feel the different textures of your food. Eating this way not only adds joy and sensuality to your life, but it helps you to eat more slowly so you don’t overeat.
Mindful eating makes dieting a thing of the past and empowers people to make better food choices through common sense and enjoying the experience of eating. We encourage you to give mindful eating a try and see if it can’t benefit your health and overall well-being.
Working with a trained Naturopath can help you build on this practice, as well as gain more insight into changes you can make to help you feel your best self. Reach out today to schedule a consultation.
Wondering what a Naturopath is? Click here to learn more.
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