Mindful Eating

Mindful eating means being aware of the food and drink you put into your body at the moment. It means paying attention to how the food makes you feel and what your body tells you about taste, satisfaction, and being full. For mindful eating to work, you have to just notice your feelings, thoughts, and body sensations without judging them. It can include buying, preparing, and serving your food as well as eating it.

It is possible to learn to eat mindfully. A single meal per day, or even just a cup of coffee in the morning, is an excellent place to start. Here are six ideas to get you started:

Learn to distinguish between true hunger (symbolized by a rumbling stomach) and other motivations for eating. Think about how you feel if hunger isn’t an issue. If you’re thirsty, have a drink of water. If you’re feeling bored, go for a walk, grab some friends, and have some fun! Don’t let tension and worry get the best of you; practice deep breathing or meditation instead. Food is meant to sustain bodily functions, not soothe emotional wounds.

Rate your hunger on a scale from 0 (starving) to 10 (full). The best approach to gauging how hungry you are is to rate yourself before eating and again halfway through. If you’re still hungry 15 minutes after finishing your meal, try eating a little less. Take note of the shifts in your hunger and fullness levels while you consume. Using this scale on a daily basis might help you identify the signs of true hunger and stop eating when you’re full, reducing the likelihood that you’ll overeat.

Don’t watch any more TV. Hang up the phone. You should pay attention to the signs of distraction and bring your thoughts back to your food in a gentle way. You might be surprised by how challenging it is for you to maintain concentration. Mindful eating, like any other skill, can be learned and honed through practice.

It can take up to 20 minutes after starting to eat before your body sends a range of signals to your brain indicating that you are full. If you eat too rapidly, your brain may not have time to register that you are full, and you may end up eating too much. To learn how to detect fullness, it’s important to give yourself ample time to sit down and eat slowly and deliberately.

Take in your immediate environment. Stop for a moment and think about the farmers, drivers, and cooks who made the meal you’re about to enjoy possible. Take note of the food’s aroma, appearance, texture, temperature, and flavor using all of your senses as you consume. If you make an effort to form these routines, you might discover that you eat better and take more pleasure in your meals as a result.

Eating more mindfully is a free and easy method to make positive changes to the way you see food and boost your overall health.

Mindful eating is a way of thinking about food that helps you be in control of your body and your health. It’s a way of taking care of yourself by being aware of what you’re eating, how much you’re eating, and why. The idea is that if you know the reasons for your choices, then you can make better ones for yourself.

It’s important to remember that mindful eating isn’t about deprivation; it’s about taking care of yourself by making sure that what goes into your body is healthy and beneficial for your body and mind.

At Restore 360, we prioritize a holistic approach to treatment, where we treat both your mind and your body. We offer a wide range of mental health services in Philadelphia, Haverford and nearby communities. Contact us to schedule your free consultation or call (484) 373-2710 to speak to a member of our staff about any mental health concerns you may have.