What is mindful eating?
So you have probably been wondering what is mindful eating? Well, mindful eating is allowing yourself to become aware of the positive and nurturing sensations that are available through food selection and preparation by respecting your own inner wisdom.
By using all your senses in choosing to eat food that is both satisfying and nourishing to your body, acknowledging your responses to food (likes, dislikes or neutral) without judgment, and becoming aware of physical hunger and satiety cues, you can change your relationship to food.
Principles of Mindfulness are:
- Deliberately paying attention, non-judgmentally, in the present moment
- Encompasses both internal processes and external environments
- Being aware of your thoughts, emotions and physical sensations in the present moment
- With practice, mindfulness cultivates the possibility of freeing yourself of reactive, habitual patterns of thinking, feeling and acting
- Promotes balance, choice, wisdom and acceptance of what is.
Source: https://www.thecenterformindfuleating.org
Dr. Susan Albers (bestselling author of seven books on mindful eating) has discovered that people often know what to eat (fruits, veggies, healthy foods) but “how” to choose nourishing foods and stop emotional eating is much more difficult.
On her website www.eatingmindfully.com, Dr Albers shares 6 easy ways to be a more mindful eater.
1. Mindful eaters don’t eat until they are “full”
Full is an overused and misleading term. Mindful eaters tend to eat until they are no longer hungry or feel satisfied. There is a big difference. By the time you perceive yourself to be “full,” it is often too late, you’ve overeaten.
2. Mindful eaters pace themselves
This is not easy. We live in a world that stresses instant access and hurrying—eating is no exception. Mindful eaters tell themselves to “slow down” or try to check in with their pace.
3. Mindful eaters are “Choosy”
While mindful eaters may seem like picky eaters, they are often just very discerning about the choices. Mindful eaters really taste food and if they don’t like it, they don’t eat it, just like picky eaters.
4. Mindful eaters are forgiving and flexible
Yes, mindful eaters overeat on occasion! What they don’t do is obsess and beat themselves up as much as dieters. Mindful eaters know that tomorrow is another day and can “let it go.”
5. Mindful eaters tend to gauge their hunger first before taking a bite
Being in the moment and fully present is key to mindful eating. Take a brief moment to ask yourself before taking a bite, “Am I really, really hungry? What I am feeling right now is…”
6. Mindful eaters break out of old habits
When you know what habits keep you stuck like multitasking when you eat or nibbling while anxious, you can devote more energy and attention to these particular areas. Sometimes it is changing how you eat more than what you eat.
Source: http://eatingmindfully.com/learn/mindful-eating/
Come along to Link HC’s Mindful Eating program and learn ways to eat more mindfully!
Are you a comfort eater? Do you eat more when feeling stressed? Do you find yourself eating when you are not hungry?
Our 4-week program will give you strategies to reduce your eating behaviour, including:
- What is mindfulness and mindful eating?
- How to incorporate mindfulness and mindful eating into your daily life
- How our emotions can impact our eating behaviours
Limited spaces are available, to register please call 1300 552 509
Click here for more information.
