Are you familiar with mindful eating? Did you know that there are a number of formal studies looking at the heart health-related outcomes of mindful eating programs? What does the evidence show?
Read on and we’ll look at it, after a quick look at what exactly we mean when we say mindful eating.
What is mindful eating?
Mindful eating is simply the practice of really paying attention to the experience of eating, physically and emotionally, without judgement.
It’s pretty much the opposite of the multitasking, inhale-it-on-the-go, I-just-noticed-the-taste style that so many of us often eat. (including myself!)
Mindful eating is applied mindfulness, as Jon Kabat-Zinn famously described: “Paying attention in a specific way, on purpose, in the present moment and without judgment.”
It involves observing all the senses associated with food, from the way food looks and smells to how it feels in your mouth, how it sounds when you bite, to (of course!) how it tastes. 
You also note the feelings associated with hunger and fullness, and how your body feels afterward: Bloated or sluggish? With energy? Pleasantly satisfied?
Additionally, the idea is to also pay attention to the feelings and thoughts that certain foods trigger. But the goal is just to observe. No good/bad judgments. If you find yourself thinking, “Ugh, I have no willpower,” or similar negative thoughts, gently shift your focus back to the experience of eating.
Acceptance and simply being present while you eat are the goals.
What mindful eating is NOT
Don’t confuse mindful eating with being “mindful” about eating. We are not talking about mindfulness, but “mind your manners”.
Mindful eating does not mean conscientiously following rules, eating less, or eating certain foods, but simply paying attention to your experience of eating. It may help you feel satisfied with less food, but that’s not the point.
And finally, mindful eating isn’t necessarily slow or distraction-free, although that can help, especially when you’re first learning to eat more mindfully. You don’t have to eat every meal or snack in silence for hours. (Phew!)
If heart health is a priority for you, how can mindful eating help?
The research, which is relatively preliminary, is more about heart health related findings against heart disease specifically.
Can mindful eating improve blood pressure or cholesterol? Exists a good study supports lowering blood pressure, but not much for cholesterol.
The best proof because mindful eating is about binge eating, reducing the frequency and severity of binge eating episodes, a compelling benefit for many of my clients.
There is also some elements that it helps with emotional eating and what researchers call “extrinsic” eating – eating in response to the sight, smell and taste of food versus actual hunger. Neither is necessarily a problem, but you might get to the point where you want to do it less often.
All three of these behaviors have been linked to weight profitso treating them can help prevent or slow it down, but it’s there it is not a clear and stable weight loss associated with mindful eating. Participants in some studies lose a little, on average, at least in the short term, some don’t. It doesn’t appear to be any better for weight loss than conventional approaches, which isn’t saying much.
(Note that most participants in these studies were Caucasian women, so the results may not generalize to men or other ethnic groups.)
What about diabetes?
Diabetes is a major risk factor for heart disease, so these findings are worth looking at as well. In a study, mindful eating worked as well as (but not better than) intensive nutritional counseling for weight and blood sugar control in type 2 diabetes, so it could be an alternative for those who prefer not to count every calorie. At the very least, another tool in your toolbox.
Other studies have shown improvements in eating and food-related self-efficacy (the belief that you can do it) and diabetes-related quality of lifealthough not eating fruits and vegetables.
A gestational diabetes studywhich may double the risk of heart diseaseshowed significant improvements in blood sugar control, although the mindful eating practice was combined with yoga, so it’s hard to say which made the biggest difference.
These diabetes findings are all based on single studies, so more research is definitely needed.
Other Related Results
Mindfulness and mindful eating have also been shown to reduce stress and worryas well as its symptoms depression, which may improve long-term prognosis for people with heart disease and a lower risk for people without. Emotional health and heart health are closely related.
(Careful eating can also help with digestive problems related to stress;. It’s not heart related, but good to know if you need it.)
One caveat
It is important to note, however, that these benefits were seen in research settings where participants typically participated in structured, multi-week programs under the guidance of a trained professional.
Can you get the same results yourself? It can. Might be worth a try. (See resources below.) Additionally, you may find that it helps you in more subjective ways that are less likely to make it into a medical journal, but may be just as impactful for you personally.
Subjective benefits?
I often say that food is one of life’s great pleasures, but not if it’s just another thing to rush through on our to-do list. 
Really paying attention to the taste and texture of our food can increase the enjoyment of eating. (And the resulting sense of satisfaction might just keep you from digging around the kitchen for more.)
For some, getting insight into how your mind and body respond to certain foods and eating habits can be encouraging. You might start to really trust yours wisdom and yours decisions about food, rather than relying on a diet or (dare I say) a dietitian to tell you what and how much to eat.
I had a client once tell me that food was the four letter ‘F’ word in her life. If the food provokes you a lot of grief too, mindful eating might just help you build a better relationship with it. It is difficult to measure, but beneficial.
Programs used in the research
Structured programs used in research environments can be expensive and difficult to find, but they are not impossible. Search for “mindfulness-based nutrition awareness education” (MB-EAT), which is one of the widely studied approaches, along with the name of your city, to see if anything comes up. There are also more and more online courses.
Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) has also been well researched. It’s not specific to food, but it was used alongside mindful eating practices in some of the studies I mentioned above. Of showed up reduce stress and emotional reactivity, as well as improve mood, focus and memory. Uh, yes please.
Other treatments used include Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
Less formal approaches
If joining a program like this isn’t realistically going to happen for you, you can practice mindful eating.
Take a look The Center for Conscious Nutrition. They have many excellent free or low-cost recordings and webinars.
Calgary nutritionist Vincci Tsui, RD wrote The Mindful Eating Workbook, which I found quite useful. As the name suggests, it is a workbook, so instead of just reading, you do reflective exercises and record your ideas.
Michelle May, MD and Megrette Fletcher, MEd, RD, CDCES are also widely recognized leaders in this field, offering (paid) online courses in mindful eating, including for people with diabetes/pre-diabetes and binge eating. But their website also offers free resources and a series of books.
There are many other professionals who offer mindfulness and mindful eating guidelines, but these are the ones most often used in research. Whichever approach you like, the key is that “a conscious state is developed over time and with regular practice, both formally and informally, on a daily basis.”
Even if you don’t engage in a formal class or book, you can commit to simply taking a few deep breaths before eating, focusing on at least the first bite, and trying to eat more slowly. It’s not easy when you have a lot on your plate I know, but the benefits are compelling.
Do you want to try it;
While it may take some commitment to see the benefits mentioned above, this exercise can give you a taste of mindful eating, so to speak. Grab some raisins, a candy, or any finger food you’d like to try more closely. (Exercise starts at 3:17 after introduction.)
It is a reading by Vincci Tsui Conscious Eating Workbook.
As I described above, it leads you to really experience the food with all your senses, letting it linger in your mouth, non-judgmentally considering how it differs from your typical eating experiences.
In any case, relax, enjoy and tell me how it goes!
