Mindful Eating: The Secret to a Healthy Life

Healthy eating is not just about dieting or being a vegan. It is about developing a strong connection with food and being mindful of our eating habits. This is termed as mindful eating.

Mindful eating involves listening to your body and this includes listening to hunger cues. Are you really hungry? Is your stomach growling? Mindful eating is not some sort of diet trend. It helps you develop a good mindset particularly when it comes to food.

What are the benefits of mindful eating? This practice allows you to:

• Recognize your body’s hunger and fullness signals
• Manage your food cravings and make healthier food choices
• Lessen binge-eating
• Have control over what we eat, rather than the food controlling us
• Savor every bite
• Have better digestion by eating slower
• Reduce calories and healthily lose weight
• Create awareness of your behaviors, thoughts, and feelings when you are around the food
• Promote heart health
• Control blood sugar levels

There are many ways that you can practice mindful eating. They are listed down as follows:

SHOP SMART

Before shopping, create a list of food that has health value. When you are out at the grocery store, stick to what is on your list and avoid impulse buying. Turn away from processed foods and opt to get fresh produce.

TAKE SMALL BITES

Make every bite an enjoyable experience. Put down your utensils in between mouthfuls.

TUNE IN TO YOUR PLATE

Avoid any kind of distraction when eating. When you are not distracted and focused on eating, you will feel your body’s signals. Are you full? Are you satisfied? Learn how to appreciate the present. You do not need to rush.

CONNECT DEEPLY WITH FOOD

Contemplate and take time to show your gratitude for the food served at your table. Be grateful for the people who took the time and effort to provide you with great food.

UNDERSTAND HUNGER CUES

Stomach growling, low energy, and lack of focus are true hunger cues. Some of us eat food when we are emotional and stressed. This only leaves us eating unhealthy food. Understanding our hunger cues is a good opportunity to make healthier choices and we become less inclined to eat emotionally comforting foods.

THE BOTTOMLINE

Mindful eating is an approach to eating that allows us to make healthy food choices and promote fun meal experiences. This in turn helps lower the risk of developing chronic diseases.

And no, you do not need to make an abrupt change in eating habits. Mindful eating takes practice. You can start it slowly day by day and you will see the difference it can do to your body and overall lifestyle.

Now more than ever is the right time to be mindful of what we eat. Mindful eating helps us feel better about ourselves and boosts our confidence, thus, leading us to greater psychological well-being.