Most of us have never heard of Mindful eating, but now it’s a trend and it’s helping a lot of us. We wonder what is mindful eating? Is there a new diet or recipe or what? However, mindful eating is not just any diet but how we eat our food. We eat through our mouths, but how we eat matters a lot too. Often we don’t even think about how we eat and how it will affect our body.
This topic can be new and exciting as it will help you understand how to eat. Traditionally, we eat whatever our mother or elder serves us on our plate and we follow the same for some time without understanding that our body needs so much food. Here, mindful eating helps us know the portion of food our body needs.
Most of our mother always says, eat fast, don’t eat slow. “This is how we should eat our food.” When we eat fast, our body cannot give the right signal, but when we eat slowly and chew the food properly, the brain shows our stomach if it is full or if we should eat more. See how necessary chewing food is.
1. looks at the wider spectrum of the meal: where the food came from, how it was prepared and who prepared it
2. observes internal and external cues that influence how much we eat
3. observes how food looks, tastes, smells and feels in our bodies as we eat
4. recognizes how the body feels after eating the meal
5. expresses gratitude for the meal
6. can use deep breathing or meditation before or after meal
7. is concerned with how our food choices affect our local and global environment
Keeping a space between two bites is also essential. When we notice a gap and take a long deep breath in between, the brain gets enough oxygen and we all know that oxygen is vital for everything to function. So is the brain. The brain receives good oxygen and sends a good signal to the stomach. And accordingly we can decide whether to eat more or stop eating. This can only happen when we do Mindful eating. During fast food or when talking to people around us or watching TV or mobile, this mindless eating – the lack of awareness of the food we consume, can contribute to obesity and other health issues. This stupid diet diverts our brain to give the right signals and we end up eating more than the body actually needs and can cause many other stomach problems and health problems.
When we eat mindfully, the body receives enough oxygen and in the presence of oxygen, our metabolism also works properly. Hence, digestion and absorption of nutrients are also improved, thus improving our bowel function. We reduce indigestion complaints such as acidity, bloating, gas, constipation, etc.
Seven Mindful Eating Practices
- Honor the food. Identify where the food was grown and who prepared the meal. Eat without distractions to deepen the eating experience.
2. Engage all the senses. Notice the sounds, colors, smells, tastes and textures of food and how you feel when you eat. Stop periodically to activate these senses.
3. Serve in moderate portions. This can help prevent overeating and food waste. Use a plate no larger than 9 inches in diameter and fill it only once.
4. Take small bites and chew well. These practices can help slow down the meal and fully experience the flavors of the food.
5. Eat slowly to avoid overeating. If you eat slowly, you are more likely to recognize when you feel satisfied or when you are about 80% full and can stop eating.
6. Don’t skip meals. Going without food increases the risk of intense hunger, which can lead to the fastest and easiest choice of food, not always healthy. Setting meals around the same time each day and planning enough time to enjoy a meal or snack reduces these risks.
7. Eat a plant-based diet, for your health and for the planet. Consider the long-term effects of eating certain foods. Processed meat and saturated fat are linked to an increased risk of colon cancer and heart disease. The production of animal foods such as meat and dairy products puts a greater burden on our environment than plant-based foods.
Summary: Chew your food properly, eat slowly, don’t eat fast, take breaths between bites, don’t push yourself to finish the dish, this is mindful eating. It will help improve our gut health and therefore better absorption of nutrients and portion size control. Don’t force eat when you feel full. Slowly and gradually, we can understand the reduced portion and that practice in the future will give us good health. Mindful eating is a very important practice to respect our health and food.
