Distracted eating is a real challenge in today's busy world. Whether it’s the noise of our electronics environment, busy minds, or the barrage of constant multi-tasking expectations, these distractions interrupt our eating attention. This makes it harder for us to really experience and tune in to how satiated we are, or how a particular food makes us feel. Mindless Eating can also lead us to eat more than we may be hungry for, either now or later, or miss important cues from our bodies about food sensitivities and energy expansion or depletion.
What is Mindfulness? It is the practice of being aware and acting with intention in the present moment.
“Mindfulness is awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally,” says Jon Kabat-Zinn, Professor of Medicine Emeritus and creator of the Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. “It’s about knowing what is on your mind.”
"Mindful Eating" is a way to not only change what food you eat, but also to slow down HOW you purchase, prepare and eat that food. When we eat more slowly, we can: feel grateful for the nourishment of the food, tune into taste and textures, and enJOY the eating experience more than when we rush through a meal. You might also try closing your eyes while you slowly chew, taste, and swallow, to heighten the sensations you might ordinarily overlook.
The practice of Mindful Eating invites you to deeply relax into your eating space and engage all the senses when taking a meal. It allows us the opportunity to savor flavors, textures and gratitude for having healthy food to nourish our bodies. Healthy digestion happens when meals are taken while relaxed, in a calm environment, either alone or with good company. Eating slowly also allows our palates to gently recalibrate from artificially processed, super salty, fatty, or sweet to the delightfully subtle flavors of clean, whole foods. And, slowing down our eating can help us to eat less, and engage greater awareness of our hunger and satiety cues.
After eating, stay aware of how a food makes you feel. Do you feel light, heavy or tired? Does eating this food help you to feel more or less energized?
This simple practice can transform the way you think about food and set the stage for a lifetime of healthy eating. Like most of us, you’ve probably eaten something in the past few hours. And like many of us, you may not be able to recall everything you ate, let alone the sensation of eating it. Because we’re working, driving, reading, watching, or scrolling, we’re not fully aware of what we’re eating. By truly paying attention to the food you eat, you may indulge in less healthy foods less often. In essence, mindful eating means being fully attentive to your food—as you buy, prepare, serve, and consume it. In the book Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life, Dr. Lillian Cheung and her co-author, Buddhist spiritual leader Thich Nhat Hanh, suggest several practices that can help you eat mindfully, including those listed below.
Chew thoroughly, delighting in all the depths of flavor. Choose your foods with intention and conscious awareness. Silent eating is another way to enhance mindfulness in meals. Relax for a few minutes after eating before moving on. It can take 15-20 minutes for the brain to realize that your stomach is full. Thank yourself for creating space for Food Gratitude.
