We currently live in a world that is fast paced and constantly running around from one thing to the next-finishing our meal in seconds or simply finishing a couple bites while working, watching TV, using our phones or even rushing to get to an event or to a next scheduled time. While doing this we often don’t take the time to identify what our hunger and fullness cues are, what our portions are, or even how we really feel while eating, and that’s when mindful eating comes into play. Eating mindfully refers to having awareness during your meal or snack; being present when you eat to acknowledge your hunger and fullness cues and also what, how and why you are eating these things. All of these factors will significantly enhance our overall health and our relationships with our food and weight control.

What is Mindful Eating?

Mindful eating refers to giving your mouth full attention to whatever you consume. It involves being attentive to your food’s color, aroma, texture and taste as well as hunger and satiety levels. Rather than eating according to habit or to cope with emotions, mindful eating is the ability to make conscious decisions about the foods you eat and savour them. It is not another diet; rather, it is an art of eating healthily and satisfyingly.

Helps Prevent Overeating

The greatest benefits of mindful eating involve stopping people from overeating. While many people may consume more food than they require while eating quickly, or whilst they are preoccupied with something else, the brain takes time to register a feeling of being full.

Slower eating enables these signals to reach the brain, resulting in the desire to stop eating before one feels completely over-full, and this also discourages people from consuming too many calories simply due to the size of the meal being eaten, because people will automatically be able to distinguish between being hungry and full.

Supports Healthy Weight Management

Mindful eating can be an effective tool in managing weight effectively. Instead of being restricted from certain foods that are used in most diets, mindful eating involves awareness and balance. People who have implemented mindful eating into their life are more likely to eat healthy food choices and are less likely to be over eaters or binge eaters. These changes in eating behavior over a period of time may result in maintaining weight. It is easier to follow the conscious way of eating because it is a habit that can be developed instead of one that needs to be established very quickly.

Improves digestion

Digestion is actually begun before food reaches the stomach – from when you smell, look at, taste and chew it. When you smell, look at, taste and chew food thoroughly, you put your body in a prime position to absorb nutrients.

When food has been shoved into the stomach, it is likely that you’ll have a gassy, bloated and uncomfortable stomach. Being aware of your food, you can bring about slower eating habits and better digestion and absorption. In an unstressful situation during meals you’ll obtain more effective digestion.

Encourages healthier food choices

When one commits to mind eating, they will learn to be more aware of the body’s response to certain foods they are eating. In taking time out to relax with one’s meal, a person can learn how the foods that they are eating are affecting their energy, mood, and general feeling of well-being.

A new understanding such as this is something bound to encourage better food choices, such as choosing fresh and healthy selections of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and protein over processed foods. Instead of choosing foods without much thought simply because that is what you always have had, you will learn that some foods work better for you and your body than others.

In the long term, mind eating can have benefits of helping a person to develop an understanding of food that can be maintained.

Reduces Emotional Eating

A lot of people will ‘turn’ to food in times of stress, sadness, or boredom and loneliness, anxiety, or depression. When eating emotionally the body has no physical needs of hunger that need to be filled. Through awareness individuals will gain the skills to separate emotional from physical hunger. People will also learn how to manage and cope with emotions without the presence of food which will reduce the amounts that they emotionally eat.

Increases Enjoyment of Meals

Mindful eating means being attentive to and appreciating all the things that are appealing about the food you eat. All the different tastes, smells and textures are a form of engagement with food and can enhance your satisfaction with each meal.

• Slowing down to eat more leisurely may make you more satisfied with the amount of food you have and may prevent overeating and snacking later on.
• Eating becomes a positive rather than automated action.

Promotes Better Portion Control

With portion sizes having been steadily increasing over the years it means that we are consuming a couple hundred extra calories per meal without really know it. Mindful eating helps to increase our awareness of how much we are actually eating, and perhaps more importantly, if we are even hungry in the first place.

Helps Build a Positive Relationship with Food

Some eating practices are developed in a very restrictive way and include feelings of guilt simply because they have been prescribed. Mindful eating can be conceptualized as offering hope for more liberal and healthy eating habits. Rather than viewing food as good or bad mindful eating involves being sensible and balanced in relation to the things one is eating and drinking. It is the consumption of all different food and drinks suitable to one’s own diet. It results in a less stressful approach to eating and to a more sustainable healthy eating habits.

Simple Tips for Practicing Mindful Eating

Acknowledge your meal: turn off electronic devices, put away the phone, TV, and eat only your food

Eat slowly

Take small mouthfuls, chew and savour every mouthful.

Listen to Hunger Signals

Eat when you are genuinely physically hungry and stop when you are pleasantly full.

Pay Attention to Food

Notice the taste, smell, texture, and appearance of each bite.

Practice Gratitude

It’s important to savor the meal that you are eating; pausing to recognize your food promotes a positive and mindful eating experience.

Conclusion

Mindful eating will produce many health benefits as well as have positive impacts on achieving and maintaining weight loss and eating quick yet still eating healthy food controlled amounts of what you are actually eating. By being aware of what we are eating, not eating too fast, and avoiding interruptions then one can form an enjoyable, and attainable relationship with food. Mindful eating is nothing like diets because it does not restrict certain foods and is based on enjoyment.