Mindful eating is putting all your mind, heart, body, and soul into the action of eating, unlike mindlessly shoveling down the food while we watch a series or work on our laptops. Oftentimes, we gulp food down regardless of whether we’re still hungry. We even indulge just to satisfy our emotional needs and to cope with unpleasant emotions. 

Mindful eating is the opposite of this; it is to enjoy and savor our food. What’s the importance of this and how to adopt it? Let’s talk about it! 

BENEFITS:

Mindful eating has all the advantages of a healthy diet. The following are the noticeable benefits of practicing mindful eating:

• It encourages one to make choices that will be satisfying and nourishing to the body.
  
  
• Improves digestion by eating slower as you feel fuller sooner. 
  
  
• As we become aware of our eating habits, we can take steps toward better behavior changes that will benefit our body and mind. This will lead to eating a healthy diet and managing one’s weight.
  
  
• It increases one’s gratitude for food.
  
  
• It helps you ease the stress and anxiety by taking a break from life and slowing down a bit.
• Eating food mindfully also changes our relationship with food.
  
  
• By enjoying every bite of your food, it derives greater pleasure.
  
  
• It helps you distinguish between true hunger and non-hunger triggers which are mostly emotional.
  
  
• It will help you get rid of unhealthy cravings that you get at midnight out of nowhere. 

HOW CAN YOU PRACTICE MINDFUL EATING?

Here are some of the healthy eating tips that may improve your eating experience: 

1. Slow Down a Bit!

   Slow down and take some time off from life. Don’t get carried away by all the hustle. Appreciate and cherish ordinary moments of life even if it’s just the joy of eating.

2. Eat In Small Proportions:

   To make sure you don’t overeat, use a small plate to serve your food so that only small portions fit on your plate. 

3. Be Grateful:

   Appreciate and be grateful for everything you have on your plate. Be grateful for the person who made it even if it is you. Thank yourself. Think about all the processes the raw form of your food went through before it reached you.

4. Non-judgmental Attitude:

   Be kind to yourself and avoid criticizing your food choices. Accept that eating can be pleasurable and enjoyable.

5. Engage Your Senses:

   Use all your senses and assess your food. See how fine it looks, smells, and tastes. This is overall going to make your eating experience more fun.

6. Switch Off Distractions: 

   Switch off your TV, cell phone, laptop, and anything that distracts you. Focus on eating and live in that moment. Don’t try to multitask.

7. Chew Thoroughly: 

   Properly chew your food about 15 to 20 times. Don’t hurry, because sometimes it can block the respiratory pathway and you can choke up on it.  

8. Understand Your Motivation: 

   Take some time and ask yourself if you are eating this meal to comfort yourself emotionally or if you are actually hungry. Be aware of your intentions and motives. Do you think that this meal is going to benefit me nutritionally? When we practice eating healthier, binging on our comfort foods is going to ultimately reduce. 

9. Enjoy Every Bite:

   Take a bite and enjoy it. Notice how it tastes and evaluate all the ingredients. Think about what it is made of and live it.    

Conclusion:

To be clear, mindful eating isn’t about making rules about your eating habits. It’s not about eating a perfect, healthy balanced diet and never eating unhealthy food. Rather, it’s about focusing all your senses and being present as you buy, cook, serve, and eat your food. This way you can become more attuned to your body and enjoy the improved well-being that comes with a healthier diet.