Chances are, while you’re on the sofa binge-watching a TV programme, you’re also doing something else, such as reading a book, surfing through your phone, or eating snacks.
However, multitasking while eating might lead to bad behaviours. Dietitian Maxine Smith, RD, LD states, “We’re not paying attention to what we’re eating and how it feels or relishing our meals.”
However, this kind of idle eating is prevalent. “Mindless eating is quite simple to do. “Food is such an integral part of daily life and is so readily available,” says Smith.
Mindless eating is not a healthy practice, however, when it becomes a routine. You may consume more unhealthy food than you know, or you may develop the habit of eating when you’re not hungry.
Adopting the practice of mindful eating may help you get back on track.
What is intentional eating?
According to Smith, the notion of mindful eating originated from the philosophy and practises of mindfulness, which urges individuals to slow down, live in the present, and pay attention to their activities.
“Mindful eating emphasises the why and the how of eating, while many diets emphasise what to eat, how much to consume, and sometimes even when to eat,” adds Smith. “It’s much more of an internal versus external approach to eating.”
The foundation of mindful eating is being deliberate and examining your options. “As part of mindful eating, it is important to analyse why I am eating – what is my intention?” Smith elucidates. This kind of reflection is essential because it leads to more careful and individualised eating selections.
Smith adds, “You’re really considering your principles and why it’s vital for you to eat healthfully.” “It might be to enhance your health. It might be to increase your vitality and digestion. It might be because you don’t want to acquire a new wardrobe since your clothing doesn’t fit properly.”
Learning to eat thoughtfully also signifies a change in attitude. Smith states, “It is a highly empowering approach as opposed to a deprivation one.” You are reclaiming control over food, as opposed to allowing it to rule you.
The advantages of eating mindfully
In general, mindful eating encourages the selection of more nutrient-dense meals, which has the additional benefit of improving our overall eating habits. However, adopting mindful eating strategies offers additional advantages beyond health.
Encourages greater food satisfaction and appreciation
Remember how delicious your first summertime ice cream was? Mindful eating may give you this sense throughout the year, and as a bonus, you can feel satisfied with lesser servings.
“One of the greatest advantages of practising mindful eating is that we really enjoy food more, yet consume less,” adds Smith. “If you learn to taste meals and interact with all of their sensory qualities, you will be content with a single scoop ice cream cone rather than a double scoop cone.”
Mindful eating habits may also help you develop a greater appreciation for the food on your plate. “The traditions emphasise respect for food and its origin, as well as gratitude for all those who contributed to its production,” Smith explains. You will also acquire a feeling of gratitude for all the ways in which food benefits our bodies, resulting in a greater appreciation for food.
Helps suppress appetite
Smith compares the practice of mindful eating to “reformatting your brain’s hard drive.” You will begin to react differently to various feeding signals.” For instance, you may see that you are giving up harmful eating desires and replacing them with healthier ones.
Improves your digestion
While you are chewing, the enzymes in your mouth begin the digestion process. When eating thoughtfully, you are urged to eat more slowly and completely chew your meal. As a consequence, you digest meals more quickly and efficiently. “If someone has digestive issues, eating more slowly might be of great assistance,” explains Smith. Numerous mindful eating habits include chewing food thoroughly, which also aids with digestion.
Aids in regulating eating habits
In the past, you have likely snacked when you were already full or eaten so much at dinner that you felt uncomfortable. Mindful eating is a strategy to get your eating habits back on track by helping you pay closer attention to hunger and satiety cues. According to Smith, mindful eating teaches us when to start and stop eating depending on internal signals. Additionally, it aids emotional eating and unhealthy eating practices. She notes that this covers typical eating problems such as binge eating.
Facilitates weight control
Listening to your body’s internal messages might also result in improved weight control approaches. Instead of gauging your hunger by external factors, such as the quantity of food on your plate or the number of calories you’re ingesting, you listen to your body.
“Mindful eating can be really liberating,” adds Smith. “If we declare we’ll never eat anything again, it elevates its status and makes it more appealing,” observes Smith. “However, if we add some of it into our eating habits and consume it consciously, we may discover, ‘Oh, we’re pleased with just a small amount of that, and it’s not as attractive as our brain makes it out to be.'”
Have a more optimistic view of food — and ourselves
It is easy to create an unhealthy connection with food over time. Mindful eating assists in reversing long-standing harmful behaviours or attitudes. “Mindful eating is a compassionate and shame-free approach to eating,” explains Smith. You are replacing the dos and don’ts of eating or attributing moral meanings to food with an exploratory and inquisitive mindset.
How to engage in mindful dining
There are specific measures you can take to begin practising mindful eating, given that so much of it requires altering your brain and mindset.
Perform mindful eating practises
You can, believe it or not, use mindful eating exercises to stimulate your brain. “We have conducted sessions in which participants practise mindfulness while eating a certain snack,” Smith explains. They are filtering out all distractions, focusing on the sensory implications and characteristics of the meal, and practising enjoying it.
Developing a nonjudgmental attitude toward the food you consume — that is, understanding that food is neither “good” nor “bad” — is also essential. “You should also consider how that meal may affect your mood in the near term,” Smith advises. “Does this meal provide me energy, or does it give me a strong want to consume more of this food?” However, you are not evaluating the quality of the meal.”
Change your perspective on food
Smith emphasises the importance of having a good attitude about food. She explains, “If you have a bad outlook or if you feel deprived, you are highly likely to fail.” “So, if you say, ‘I can’t have anything to eat,’ stop yourself and replace it with ‘I choose not to eat that.”
Prepare a daily menu plan.
Utilize a daily diet plan that specifies what you want to consume for each meal. Smith states that this strategy should include both nutritious and less nutritious items. “Occasional indulgences are OK, but they must be planned,” Smith argues. Include some of these higher-calorie or less-healthy items in your daily regimen, either in lower quantities or less often. She says that this percentage is acceptable since eating healthfully “approximately 80 to 85 per cent of the time” would provide the majority of your daily nutritional requirements.
Every day, you should not place undue pressure on yourself by expecting perfection.
Smith advises, “Use that plan more like a GPS.” “If we have this GPS, we are considerably more likely to get at our destination on time if we have a destination in mind. We may encounter a few detours along the route, but the sooner we return to our original path, the better. And having a food plan before the day will help us get there much faster.”
Organize smaller meals
Due to work and family obligations, you may find yourself eating only one or two large meals per day as opposed to several smaller ones. “Your stomach might grow distended (bloated), requiring you to consume more food to feel full,” explains Smith.
To break this tendency, plan smaller meals around three hours apart. This may consist of yoghurt, a piece of fruit, and a tiny handful of almonds, according to Smith. “It need not be a formal dinner. It’s more about having something to tide you over so you don’t go too long between meals and enter the next one famished.” Until you get used to this pattern, you may need to plan more of these meals or bring snacks with you if you anticipate being on the move.
Seek out accountable partners
According to Smith, in-person and online support groups are an excellent resource for maintaining accountability throughout a mindful eating journey. “No one understands what you’re going through more than others who are in the same circumstances,” adds Smith. Others have experienced and implemented solutions that may have benefited them, and they may share this information with you.
She adds that the mix of expert and peer help in these groups is also advantageous. “There is nothing more essential than feeling understood and knowing that someone else has been in your shoes. And trust me, there are a great number of individuals going through the exact same things as you.”
How to persevere with mindful eating
Attempting to engage in mindful eating practises by yourself might seem daunting. “As previously said, food is ubiquitous,” Smith adds. Everyone is trying to encourage us to consume more food. Having a support system — a faithful friend or a family member — who cheers you on and supports what you’re doing might be beneficial.
Smith states, “There are a lot of food pushers in the world.” When you take the time to explain to them why you want to make changes and make it personal, they are frequently quite supportive.
Instead of expressing you want to reduce weight or change your looks, you could mention that mindful eating may also help them. “I have noticed that if you just concentrate on beauty or weight, you won’t receive as much support because people will start comparing themselves to you and saying, ‘Well, you don’t need to lose any weight,'” says Smith. “On the other side, if you remark, ‘Gosh, I wish I had more energy,’ I would suggest that you see a physician. When I go home from work, I simply want to take sleep since I feel exhausted so quickly. “When you say, ‘I really want to go out with you and have fun,’ you’re benefiting them.”
The suggestion of an alternate present to food, such as weekly flowers from the shop, may also be helpful.
“People want to express their affection for others via food,” adds Smith. “This is often one of the greatest obstacles. A person does not want to say “no” since doing so would be similar to rejecting the other person’s affection for them. Let them know that this is how they may do something unique if they so want.”