We all have tried to stick to some or the other diet regimen,a lot of us stick to it but a lot more tend to fail more often. If you’re someone who finds it difficult to follow a healthy eating pattern this article is just for you. Most diets tend to focus on what to eat, how much to eat & when to eat, however those who find it impossible to adhere to one Mindfulness while eating may help you reach your goal.
What is mindful eating?
Mindful eating is a method that involves conscious eating & paying attention to our food, on purpose, moment by moment, without judgment. It is an approach to food that focuses on individual’s’ sensual awareness of the food and their experience of the food. The intention is to help individuals savour the moment and the food and encourage their full presence for the eating experience.
Mindful eating is an ancient practice & our ancestors followed it to the T. They had some fresh fruits or would go out to hunt only when hungry, all animals & birds too follow mindful eating they eat only when hungry no matter how much food is available to them. We humans have somehow forgotten to use this technique & end up fuelling ourselves with excess calories even when the body doesn’t need it.
How to practice mindful eating?
- Recite a short prayer before your meal.
- Take a small portion of the meal for example let’s say you’re eating an orange. Peel the orange skin.
- Take just one segment of the orange, look at it, feel its texture, smell its fruity aroma & look at its freshness & bright colour, don’t eat it yet.
- Next take a small bite of the orange segment & slowly begin to chew, noticing what each bite brings.
- Chew the orange segment until it is completely liquefied before you swallow.
- After swallowing, close your eyes for a few moments to notice the consequence of what you just experienced & savour the entire orange slowly one segment at a time.
The above process seems to be very time consuming & you may find it boring at the beginning but once you learn to ace it, you will be consciously aware of how much your body needs to fuel up & this will help prevent overeating & binge eating. So you don’t need to be told how much to eat & when to stop eating as your own body knows it the best.
Some points to keep in mind while practicing mindful eating
- Consume your meal slowly and without distraction of television or Netflix.
- Listening to physical hunger cues and follow the Japanese tradition Hara Hachi Bu, theprinciple of eating until you’re 80% full.
- Distinguish between true hunger, non-hunger & thirst triggers for eating. More often one tends to confuse thirst with hunger.
- Engaging your senses by noticing colours, smells, sounds, textures, and flavours
- Learn to cope with guilt and anxiety about food
- Notice the effects food has on your feelings and body
- Lastly eat in order to maintain overall health and well-being & appreciate your food
The Mindful eating method works for almost everyone however with mindfulness also consciously try to eat healthy food & see it work wonders on your body, mind & soul.
So this World Health Day don’t just stay hangry,eat only when your hungry