Mindful Eating

“Mindful eating is about awareness. When you eat mindfully, you slow down, pay attention to the food you’re eating and savour every bite.” — SUSAN ALBERS, Psychologist A survey found that in today’s culture; 91% of people reported watching television while eating a meal or snack and 49% say they watch TV while eating on a regular basis. When was the last time you truly paid attention to what you were eating — when you truly relished the experience of food ? Most people in today’s world eat on autopilot, chowing down a meal while their attention is on the TV or the screen of their devices or a book or a daydream. Mindful eating invites us to remove those distractions and sit uninterrupted with our food. In doing so, we begin to take our time over a meal. Mindful eating is not about rules or guidelines; instead, it is about individual experience. The idea is for people to have their own experiences while eating food and to be in the present while having them. By truly paying attention to the food you eat, you may enjoy your meal more and feel less distracted by the need to have something playing in the background while eating. Mindful eating means being fully attentive to your food — as you buy, prepare, serve, and consume it. Embracing mindful eating techniques has multiple benefits beyond just good health. Mentioned below are some benefits of mindful eating:- 1. Appreciation for food - Mindful eating can make you feel rewarded for your meal and as an added bonus, you can achieve satisfaction through smaller portions. You develop gratitude for the food you eat and a sense of thankfulness for all the ways that it’s benefiting our bodies, providing an overall positive appreciation for food. 2. Improves your digestion - Digestive conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are affected by stress levels. Research suggests that mindful eating may help improve digestion by lowering stress levels, reducing overeating and slowing down meals. When you’re mindfully eating, you’re encouraged to eat more slowly and chew your foods thoroughly. 3. Develops a Healthy Relationship with Food - If you tend to ‘stress eat’ – when you’re upset, sad, stressed, or bored, mindful eating can help to end that cycle. It helps to change your whole relationship with food and eating so that you are in control. You might notice that you’re letting go of unhealthy food cravings and instead, forming new, healthy ones. 4. Helps in Weight Management - Mindful eating isn’t about weight loss. When you eat just the right amount needed to make your body function, you naturally settle at a healthy weight without needing to follow any “diet plan.” When you first start mindful eating, try eating alone and in silence. This can help you be completely free of distractions to make it easier to start this practice. Don’t worry if you can’t be entirely free of outside distractions or if it’s difficult to sit in silence. Just do what you can to be more mindful while eating. Changing the way you eat is not just about putting rules over your food preferences. Instead, it’s about being aware of what and how you eat to reach many psychological and physical health advantages. Training yourself in mindful eating can result in better self-management of diseases, including diabetes, digestive issues, eating disorders, and more.