“When walking, walk. When eating, eat.

– Zen proverb

Due to our busy and rushed lives these days, we tend to eat mindlessly. Sometimes in the car while traveling to work, in front of the computer, while watching television, or fiddling with your mobile phones. We eat not only when we are hungry but on a full stomach also to deal with negative and unpleasant emotions like loneliness, boredom, stress, loneliness, etc. We mindlessly keep shoveling food down whether we are hungry or not.

Are we able to recall what we ate a few hours ago let alone the sensation of eating it? When was the last time we truly savored our food? This absent-minded way of eating can lead to overeating and weight gain. Instead of eating without thinking, we can start eating with attention and intention and what we call “mindfulness”. Mindfulness allows us to relish the aromas, flavors, textures, and reconnect with our senses. Mindful eating allows us to get reacquainted with the joy of eating.

What is Mindful Eating?

Mindful eating is more than meets the eye. Mindful eating entails observing how you eat, how the food makes you feel, understanding your body’s cues of hunger, taste, satiety, and fullness. This conscious eating also extends to shopping, preparing, and even serving food.

Being mindful is paying attention to every moment of your eating experience which can help you change your dietary habits for improved wellbeing. Eating with awareness nourishes not only your body but your spirit as well. It has very little to do with calories, fat, protein, or carbohydrate. The premise is to be present while cooking, eating, and savor and relish the whole eating experience. Mindful eating requires acknowledging instead of judging your thoughts and bodily sensations. 

Benefits of Mindful Eating

• Mindful eating can improve behavioral flexibility, augment self-compassion, and curtail stress levels.
• It can reduce the intake of unhealthy snacks and encourage the intake of healthy foods that can help improve your mental and physical endurance.
• Mindful eating can also broaden and enhance your taste perceptions.
• It can improve your digestion and absorption of nutrients. When you eat mindfully, we chew food properly, making the food easier to digest. When the food is broken down into small pieces, the nutrients get absorbed in the body more effectively and efficiently.
• Mindful eating can help individuals suffering from eating disorders. It can help prevent overeating and stressful and emotional eating. Our stomach takes some time to signal the brain that we are full. While eating extremely fast, our brain gets the signal late and we end up eating more. 
• Eating with awareness also makes the flavors much more vibrant. You are not distracted from your sense of taste and experience your eating experience fully.
• Mindful eating can also help us lose weight. The reason is when we eat with awareness, we become more conscious of what we are eating. We start making the right nutritional choices. Eating slowly makes us eat less helping us shed those unwanted pounds. When we are in tune with our bodies we start resisting unhealthy foods and can differentiate between actual hunger and cravings, which promotes weight loss.
• Eating consciously can help you understand your body’s cues so that you know when to stop or start eating.
• Mindful eating can also help us avoid food cravings. Many times we eat for reasons other than being actually hungry to help us deal with an emotion. Eating with awareness can help us become more aware of the reasons behind our food cravings. You will understand that there are other ways of coping with negative emotions than stuffing your bodies with food.

Self-help Methods to Develop Mindful Eating

The pressures of work and family can make it somehow impossible to eat mindfully but you can still learn to practice it. By eating mindfully, you can attain greater control over your diet and your nutritional choices also. Below are some self-help methods to help you develop mindful eating.

•  When hunger strikes, try to understand your body’s cues. Take a couple of breaths and notice the sensations which tell you that you are hungry. Become aware of them and explore these feelings. If you listen to your body patiently, you will come to know if you are actually hungry. Also, this will allow you to tolerate hunger. If you feel an external stimulus for eating without hunger, distract yourself by taking a walk or doing something else.
• Sit relaxed in a good posture and acknowledge your surroundings. However, tune them out as paying attention to what’s happening around you can prevent you from focussing on the food and take you away from the mindfulness experience.
• When you come to the table calm yourself down. Stress can interfere with the digestive processes and prevent you from identifying the specific foods your body does and doesn’t want.
• Always start with small portions. You can even try to reduce the size of your plate.
• Start eating by first looking at your food. Observe the different textures, colors, and even the smells and sounds. Take note of all the different tastes. Pay attention to how the smells make you feel. Notice how the food feels inside your mouth. Try to identify all the ingredients. Bring all your senses to the meal.
• Keep asking yourself the following questions throughout your eating experience – What thoughts does this food bring to you? What feelings does this food bring to mind – pleasure, happiness, regret, disappointment? When I eat, am I relishing each bite or am I tuned out?
• Keep taking pauses after a few bites. During these pauses take notice of bodily sensations like sweating, tummy rumbling, fatigue, nasal congestion, and others. When you are halfway through your meal, understand how your body is feeling, and ask yourself if you are feeling full?
• If you remain mindful while eating also your body will respond properly to what it is doing. Your brain will get proper signals when you are full and prevent you from overeating.
• Eat only with an appetite. Do not skip meals because if you eat after long intervals, you may only want to fill your tummy and overeat and also not really enjoy your food.
• Do not eat while watching TV or sitting in front of the computer. Eat minus distractions as these activities increase your eating by approximately 20%.
• If you are eating with others, do not talk about the stresses of the day, instead, talk about something cheerful.
• Eating mindfully extends to shopping also. When you make your shopping list, consider the health benefits of each item on the shopping list. Stick to the list and steer clear of impulse buying. Try not to buy too much-processed food.
• Chew your food thoroughly at least 20 times for each mouthful.
• Eat slowly and take small bites to enjoy your food. It is difficult to taste food completely with your mouth full.
• Reflect on the journey your food has taken to your plate. Being aware of the origins of your food can help you make more healthy and sustainable choices.

The Takeaway

Mindful eating is nothing but simply being conscious of what you eat, when you eat, and how you eat. To develop the habit of eating mindfully may require some effort and willingness. However, once you have mastered this skill, you will be able to identify the perfect food choices for your mind, body, and soul. Conscious eating will improve your relationship with your food, helping you become more aware of your mind/body connection to food.