Mindful eating doesn’t sound sexy, but I swear, it’s the coolest thing going when it comes to managing your weight.
Why? Because once you have the hang of it, it makes managing your weight almost effortless!
Mindful eating has been scientifically proven to change your brain, which means it changes your behavior so you permanently change your relationship with food. That's right: PERMANENTLY!!
How mindful eating changes your brain and behavior
The act of eating mindfully requires us to slow down, which is something we benefit greatly from doing.
With mindful eating, we get better at noticing the difference between hunger cues and emotional cues.
As a result of mindful eating, you will be able to recognize stomach sensitivity and food-related symptoms that you previously overlooked, and this will allow you to make better food choices. The question you may soon ask yourself is, Do I want to continue eating gluten if I am usually bloated after eating it?
With mindful eating, your dining experiences will become more relaxed and enjoyable, and your digestion will improve.
What I love about mindful eating is that it doesn’t require willpower. Nada. Zilch. You will change because your motivation and behaviors are now much clearer to you.
Here are some habits to help you with your mindful eating practice:
1. Sit at a table
Eat like the civilized boss babe you want to become by sitting at a table to eat.
There isn’t a lot of information out there about the link between posture and gut health, but gut health specialist, Eve Kalinik believes that when we eat slouched over, we impede the process of peristalsis – the movement of food through the gut.
It’s not just your gut health but also your self-confidence that can get a boost from eating at a table.
2. Chew more (and pause between bites)
If you’re used to eating a meal in 5-minutes, chewing more might not feel natural to you. With repeated practice though, it will become your new normal.
A general recommendation is to chew each bite 30 times but if you don’t want to count, think of the consistency of a smoothie and try to chew each bite down to that texture.
Pause for 30 seconds to a minute between every few bites.
Pausing between bites is something we naturally do when we eat with others. When you’re eating alone, try to mimic that habit by taking a break between every few bites. Slower eating helps you to avoid gas, heartburn, and other digestive problems.
3. Creatively fill your plate
Using real plates and utensils and setting the table will elevate your dining experience, that’s for sure. As they say, it’s the little things, right?
Something else I love (although I’m not a pro at it yet), is to artfully arrange the food on my plate… as a chef would.
4. Be grateful for what you’re eating
Gratitude lets you focus and helps you savor your food to use more of your senses when you eat. As you’re eating, appreciate the color of those blueberries. Be curious about the texture of your bread.
Be grateful and you’ll be more present, which is the point of mindful eating.
5. Visualize the nourishment
While you’re eating some blueberries, imagine Vitamin C making your immune system stronger. Imagine the antioxidants helping to delay aging and plumping up those laugh lines.
Think about the fact that the fiber in your oatmeal is helping your heart and even helping to prevent cancer. By creating a more visual experience, we operate less on auto-pilot.
6. Use smaller plates
When you compare the portions served by better restaurants against those served by chain restaurants like Arby's, it is easy to understand why you should eat smaller portions:
Because if people who can afford to eat well, eat less food on average, then you know that it is better for you to eat smaller portions.
A tip that might help you control portion size is to stay away from the corners of your plate by at least an inch. Even easier still is to use smaller plates.
To further your mindful eating education, here are some resources for you to check out: