MINDFUL EATING
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO REAP THE BENEFITS OF MINDFUL EATING?
Source: SWITCH CHALLENGE
Mindfulness is the practice of focusing on the here and now (what’s happening in your body, your mind or your surroundings) without interpretation or judgement. The key is to notice every time your mind drifts away and bring back your focus to the anchor (the breath, bodily sensation, external stimuli like the birds chirping or the wind….)
There are several practices that fall under mindfulness such as mindful movement, mindful colouring, body scan and meditation among others.
In this article, I will focus on mindful eating.
WHAT IS MINDFUL EATING?
Eating mindfully simply means savouring your food while being tuned to your internal cues of hunger and satiation. It is the opposite of mindless eating (e.g, eating popcorn while watching a movie) and it’s an easy alternative to counting calories and measuring portion size, both are impractical and unsustainable.
WHY MINDFUL EATING?
Eating mindfully is expected to help people lose weight and keep it off by reducing overeating and emotional eating. The literature however is very mixed and inconclusive about this claim. (1, 2, 3). The reasons for that are many:
Difficulty to measure mindfulness
Reliance on self-report
Duration of the studies
Multiple confounding variables (food choices, physical activity, culture, emotions…)
It’s complicated but I will tell you how to overcome these hurdles further down…
HOW TO EAT MINDFULLY?
Eat, preferably, while sitting down
Chew your food slowly. If you eat too fast, you will miss your internal cues for satiation. It takes time for your brain to receive the message that you are full so give it some time.
Engage all your senses. Notice the taste, the texture, the smell, the colours and the presentation of the food
Avoid eating while having a conversation, watching TV, texting or working (these activities will distract you from gaging your fullness)
Have a beginner’s mindset. Approach the food as if it is the first time.
ARE YOU UP FOR SOME PRETEND PLAY?
Imagine you are visiting earth from another planet and practice eating a raisin mindfully (14 steps). Don’t worry, you won’t have to do this every time you eat. All you need to do is follow my five steps above.
If you are one of my regular readers, you already know that instructing people to just eat mindfully without adopting a holistic approach is unlikely to achieve the desired results. As in everything in health, a holistic approach is necessary.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO REAP THE BENEFITS OF MINDFUL EATING?
>>> TUNE YOUR INTERNAL CUES OF HUNGER AND SATIATION
Get off the sugar roller coaster. If you eat too much carbs and sugar, your blood glucose will oscillate from very high to very low making you feel hungry when you don’t need more calories. Consequently, you won’t be able to trust your internal cues of hunger and satiation
Eat your daily requirement of proteins and as much as your heart desires of non-starchy vegetables. This will provide you with nutrient-rich food and allow you to experience satiation for a longer period of time. If you have a protein or vitamin/mineral deficiency, you may feel hungry when you don’t need more calories. So again, you won’t be able to trust your internal cues of hunger and satiation.
Stay well hydrated and drink a cup of water when you feel like eating to make sure that you are not confusing thirst with hunger.
>>> CONQUER YOUR EMOTIONS
This will empower you eat only when you are hungry and not when you are angry, sad or anxious:
Let go of any blocked emotions from your past through therapy (CBT, ACT, Trauma therapy, Art Therapy or my favourite, Time Line Therapy-NLP)
Learn the 5 steps to process your emotions in the present
Source: Therapy in Nutshell by Emma McAdam
Learn to regulate your nervous system to set it on the parasympathetic mode (rest, digest and heal) -- breathing exercises, yoga, guided meditation, walking…
Learn urge surfing. A craving lasts 30 min, then it subsides. Sit with the craving. Notice the sensations in your body, track them, describe them (where are they located?, are they hot or cold, sharp or soft, what colour are they? What shape?...) do a few cycles of breathing exercises. Notice any thoughts. Stick them on a cloud and let them drift away. Bring back your attention to the sensations in your body. Let the urge pass through you without fulfilling it. (Fulfilling the urge will strengthen it)
>>> PROTECT YOURSELF FROM PEER PRESSURE AND TEMPTATION
Make only healthy food choices available at home
Plan your meals
Do your grocery shopping on a full stomach
Avoid drinking alcohol while eating. If you do, you are more likely to disregard your internal cues of satiation and indulge.
Surround yourself with friends who value similar health goals as you
Before you reach out for that snack, ask yourself:
Am I thirsty?
Am I sad?
Am I angry?
Am I bored?
Am I anxious?
Am I really hungry? Hungry enough for steak and salad?
Rate your hunger on the hunger-satiety scale
Then make an informed decision. (Start eating if 3 or 4)
If you decide to eat, rate your hunger again halfway through. This will help you decide when to stop eating. (Stop at 6 or 7)
The Hunger-Satiety Scale (Source)
Alternatively, maybe follow the Japanese "Hara hachi bu" rule or the 80% rule. People in the blue zone in Okinawa-Japan practice eating until 80% full. Okinawa is home to the highest percentage of centenarians in the world.
Maybe visualise your stomach filling up like the fuel gauge in your car.
Here’s to a long and mindful life!
Send me a direct message on Substack for personalised health advice or NLP sessions.
DISCLAIMER: All information provided by Abir Ballan is solely intended for educational purposes and is not a substitute for expert advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Abir Ballan is a Health Coach and a certified NLP and Time Line Therapy Practitioner. She has a Masters in Public Health, a Graduate Degree in Mind, Brain and Teaching and a BA in Psychology.