Mindful Eating: What is it?

What is Mindful Eating?

Mindful eating is being aware of how you feel, emotionally, mentally and physically while eating. It’s about bringing full awareness to your thoughts and senses without judgment.

It’s about paying attention to:

1.      Why you are eating

2.      When you are eating

3.      How you are eating

4.      How much you are eating

And it’s less about WHAT you are eating.

This practice encourages us to learn how to check in with ourselves and learn what we need at any given time. It’s really a practice in self care!

It can be used as strategy for positively influence food consumption to maximize health and prevent disease. Some studies show it can also help with reducing emotional eating and response to external eating cues. It can be used to help bring together mind and body to develop a more balanced relationship with ourselves and the world around us.

Some studies show that incorporating mindful eating into our daily practice leads to long term behavior changes!

Mindful eating also helps people develop a calm attitude toward food, which can stop cycles of overeating or restricting food (All in all out mentality)and also help you absorb more of the nutrients from the food you are eating. By incorporating mindful eating we encourage improved digestion, increased nutrient up take and increased satisfaction and often decreased stomach upset and bloating that some of us experience

This happens because if one eats when they are distracted or rushing, they aren’t fully chewing their food, and there body is not in the “rest and digest phase” which is essential for us for absorbing all the nutrients from the foods we eat. Instead we are in the “fight or flight” response.

When we instead put our full awareness into chewing our food slowly and fully enjoying the process we are more likely to support our brain in a way that it feels satisfied and therefore we are less likely to over eat.

So what are some ways we can incorporate more mindfulness when we eat?

1.      Before you start eating, stop what you are doing! Instead of eating at your computer, or TV, or phone. Try quieting the mind and focus on the food you have in front of you. Really taste each flavor, chew slowly, and pay attention to textures too!

2.      Think about the smell, taste, and mouth feel of the food you are eating. Focus on each step of the eating process rather than thinking about other things from your day.

3.      Eat without distractions – focus all your attention on food

4.      Slow down – chew eat bite and savor the flavors and textures of your food

5.      Pay attention to your body – check in with your body before, during, and after eating. How are you feeling? Are you craving anything? Check in without judgment!

What are some ways you can start incorporating this practice into your daily life? Please share with me! I would love to hear it!

References

Cherpak CE. Mindful Eating: A Review Of How The Stress-Digestion-Mindfulness Triad May Modulate And Improve Gastrointestinal And Digestive Function. Integr Med (Encinitas). 2019 Aug;18(4):48-53. PMID: 32549835; PMCID: PMC7219460.

Chiba A, Yoshiike N. Impact of an education intervention focusing on comprehensive mindful eating and chewing habits on daily eating practices: A mobile tool-based randomized controlled trial. Eat Behav. 2024 Sep 15;55:101923. doi: 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2024.101923. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39316933.

Hassapidou M, Vlassopoulos A, Kalliostra M, Govers E, Mulrooney H, Ells L, Salas XR, Muscogiuri G, Darleska TH, Busetto L, Yumuk VD, Dicker D, Halford J, Woodward E, Douglas P, Brown J, Brown T. European Association for the Study of Obesity Position Statement on Medical Nutrition Therapy for the Management of Overweight and Obesity in Adults Developed in Collaboration with the European Federation of the Associations of Dietitians. Obes Facts. 2023;16(1):11-28. doi: 10.1159/000528083. Epub 2022 Dec 15. PMID: 36521448; PMCID: PMC9889729.

Ruffault A, Czernichow S, Hagger MS, Ferrand M, Erichot N, Carette C, Boujut E, Flahault C. The effects of mindfulness training on weight-loss and health-related behaviours in adults with overweight and obesity: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Obes Res Clin Pract. 2017 Sep-Oct;11(5 Suppl 1):90-111. doi: 10.1016/j.orcp.2016.09.002. Epub 2016 Sep 19. PMID: 27658995.