In our fast-paced and hectic modern lives, it's all too easy to rush through meals, eating mindlessly as we multitask or simply grab whatever is convenient. However, this disconnected approach to eating can take a toll on our physical and mental well-being. Mindful eating is a practice that can transform the way we relate to food, allowing us to savor every bite, make choices that provide fullness and satiety, and find a deeper appreciation for nourishing our bodies.

What is mindful eating?

Eating mindfully means that you are using all of your physical and emotional senses to experience and enjoy the food choices you make.

As someone who has gone from restrictive eating, rigid eating times, and deprivation of true hunger and fullness cues, mindful eating is not something that I was able to practice right away. When you restrict your intake of food for prolonged periods of time, ignoring hunger cues, it is hard to trust your body to eat mindfully to your body’s needs. It takes time to reestablish a regular eating pattern and build up your hunger and fullness cues once again. Once your body has reestablished a regular rhythm of eating and cues, mindful eating is a path to explore. 

The Benefits of Mindful Eating

Enhances Digestion: When we eat mindfully, we chew our food thoroughly and take the time to enjoy the flavors. This aids in the digestion process, as the saliva begins breaking down the food before it reaches the stomach.

Regulates Appetite: Mindful eating helps us tune into our body's natural hunger and fullness cues. By listening to these signals, we can avoid overeating and learn to eat in accordance with our body's actual needs.

Promotes Better Food Choices: When we are present in the moment while eating, we are more likely to make food choices that are nutrient-dense and cure our cravings. Mindful eating allows us to be conscious of the nutritional value of the foods we select, leading to more balanced and nourishing meals.

Cultivates Gratitude: Mindful eating encourages gratitude for the food on our plates, the people who grew and prepared it, and the opportunity to nourish ourselves. This gratitude fosters a positive relationship with food and enhances our overall well-being.

Manages Emotional Eating: Mindful eating invites us to explore our emotional connection to food. By acknowledging and understanding our emotions, we can distinguish between true hunger and emotional hunger, reducing the tendency to use food as a coping mechanism.

Tips for Practicing Mindful Eating

Listen To Your Body: On a scale of 1-7, where does your hunger fall? 1 being starving, 7 being extremely full. By checking in with your hunger, this will guide you to make decisions about your portion and plate breakdown. If you are starving or very hungry, this is a sign your body may need more energy at this meal. If you are only slightly hungry, maybe you opt for a smaller portion size to prevent becoming overly full with the meal. 

Eliminate Distractions: If able, put the phone down, turn off the TV, and focus on your meal! Distractions can cause us to eat past our fullness cues and prevent our body from achieving satiety from meals due to the lack of awareness of each bite. If this seems unachievable, start with one meal per day that you remove distractions. Take this meal to listen to your body and get in tune with your hunger and fullness cues.

Be Mindful Of Your Day: a large part of mindfulness that people forget about when preparing meals and choosing a meal time is the day ahead of them. Maybe, you only have a window from 8-9am to eat and the next time you will be able to eat something isn’t until 1-2pm. Thus, it is important to eat a larger meal with balanced macronutrients to provide prolonged satiety and fuel, even if you aren’t super hungry for a full meal at this time. On the flip side, you have a brunch scheduled for 10:30am, but you woke up at 7am and your stomach was growling. Allow yourself to have something small to prevent increased hunger and suppression of your body's natural cues! 

Honor Your Cravings: Our body is VERY smart. It will tell you what it needs and when it needs something. If you find yourself craving something intensely, think about how you can incorporate it into your day to prevent any form of psychological restriction. By placing a restriction on a food your body is craving, it will only cause you to crave the food more intensely and risk overeating when you finally allow yourself to have the craving. 

Mindful eating is a powerful tool that can bring us back to the essence of nourishing our bodies and minds. By being present and aware during meals, we can transform our relationship with food and make choices that promote overall well-being. Long gone are the days of ignoring our body and the signs it gives us to maintain a certain size or look that was never meant for us. Embracing mindful eating as a daily practice allows us to savor the simple joys of eating, leading to a healthier and more fulfilling life.