From Mindfulness Excercises.com
Ever look down from your computer screen, during a “working lunch” and realize you finished your entire meal without feeling satisfied at all? What if instead of making eating a “side bar” you took some time to make it the main event? This practice of focusing your undivided attention into your food your undivided attention is called Mindful Eating. This practice can help you make healthier food choices and improve your wellness in so many ways.
Benefits of mindful eating include:
· Reduced Caloric intake
· Weight loss
· Reduced stress
· Increased enjoyment
· Easier digestion/ less GI distress
· Rced binge eating
· Improved control over what you eat
Sounds good doesn’t it? So, let’s explore how you can incorporate more mindful eating practices into your lifestyle.
To get started, you need to understand how to recognize mindless verse mindful eating. Take a look at the chart to the right:
The next step is to start avoiding these mindless eating pitfalls.
Never eat while:
· At your work space
· In the car driving
· In front of the T.V.
· In front of your computer
· Using the telephone
· Surfing the internet
· Scrolling through social media
· Feeling emotional such as sad, depressed or angry
Finally, learn to take a few moments to savor your food. Eating is so much more than just putting food into your body. Certain foods hold special meaning for each of us and satisfy not only the body but also the soul, by evoking memories of special moments, family gatherings and special people like Mom who cooked your favorite meals.
So when you eat a meal:
1. Breath in the aroma of the food. Think about how it makes you feel and what pleasant thoughts or memories come to mind
2. Notice the pleasing colors of the food on the plate
3. Chew eat bite thoroughly while paying attention to the texture of the food and how it feels on your tongue
4. Put down your fork while taking the time to chew each bite.
5. Savor the taste of each and every mouthful.
6. Pay attention to your bodies fullness cues and stop eating when you don’t feel hungry anymore, rather than when you start to feel stuffed
Start incorporating these practices into your daily eating routine and you will find so much more satisfaction and sense of well being, coming from the foods you consume.
Excited to enrich your life through Mindful Eating? Check back next month for more tips on taking Mindful Eating and Wellness to the next level
