Mindful eating is not the same for every person; however, the concept behind it is used to help people in similar ways. I posted a simple 'recipe' for mindful eating on my Instagram back in the day, it includes:
1. A spoonful of embracing all of your senses
2. A touch of listening to your body
3. An ounce of reducing distractions
4. A cup of noticing tastes and flavors
5. A dash of enjoying the nourishment
In other words, mindful eating is literally making the decision NOT to eat mindlessly.
Let’s dive deeper into these reasonings.
First, embracing your senses allows you to notice things that you may have missed during mealtimes otherwise.
Second, mindful eating allows you to truly listen to your body. Realizing that you are too full to finish a plate of food or realizing that you’d like a second plate of food, are both examples of a mindful insight!
Third, reducing distractions is essential to achieving mindful eating. If you are busy scrolling on your phone, or watching your favorite T.V. show, it is almost impossible to give your mealtime the attention it deserves.
Fourth, noticing taste and flavor are two of the most important parts to determining your favorite and least favorite foods.
Finally, enjoying the nourishment is a big part of mindful eating. Recognizing that there IS nutritional value in all foods, ranging from avocados and bell-peppers to chocolate cake and cinnamon rolls.
Mindful eating is NOT eating whatever you want, whenever you want (that would be considered mindless eating).
Mindful eating is helpful when one’s hunger and fullness cues are strong, and they are able to recognize them. If one regularly feels hungry, and regularly notices being full, mindful eating may help them enjoy mealtimes even more. On the other hand, if one lacks certain hunger or fullness cues, mindful eating can be more harmful than helpful.
At one point in my life, when I was struggling with my eating disorder, I seriously lacked hunger cues. I did not feel hungry due to restricting food and skipping meals. Therefore, mindful eating would’ve just complicated things for me. If one struggles with recognizing hunger and fullness, mindful eating may become more difficult and less helpful. Yet, if you have the ability to notice when you're hungry, when you're full, and how different foods make you feel, mindful eating can be very beneficial.
Why is mindful eating beneficial?
First, it may help you improve your relationship with food. You will feel more comfortable and more satisfied at mealtimes due to listening to your body and being mindful of your choices! Likewise, mindful eating is not restrictive in anyway. It is not a diet, and it does not promote, or reject ANY food items. That is the best part of it – you are in your control, and it is up to you to learn more about what your body wants, needs, and/or desires. In addition, because it is not restrictive, it is sustainable long-term!
To learn more, stay tuned for the next blog!
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