Mindful eating is the self-calming eating behavior. Mindful eating is seen to have positive impact on physical health as it help people to live more intentionally and help develop skills helping in preventing chronic pain, diseases, depression, anxiety and sleeping issues. Evidence has also shown that it helps to treat obesity as well.
Mindful eating means paying attention to our food and the purpose of eating it. Its main purpose is not just weight loss but to enjoy the food and its flavours.
Mindful eating typically includes listening to our physical sensation like hunger, satisfaction and clue to stop eating in order to enjoy eating experience.
MINDFUL EATING INVOLVES:
- Enjoying the smell, taste and food texture.
- Eating food slowly in order to enjoy flavours.
- Eating food without guilt
- Understanding signs like hunger, being full, satisfaction and craving.
- Avoiding distraction like phone and television while eating.
WAYS TO ADOPT MINDFUL EATING IN YOUR LIFE:-
Ask yourself- Ask yourself if you are hungry or full. Eat when body tells you to.
People tend to eat even when they are not hungry just because its lunch time or dinner time. Eating even when you are full can leads to overconsumption of food and eventually causes weight gain.
Use small plates- Eating in small plates and using small utensils helps you to eat less and eat mindfully. When we see less, we eat less. Using smaller plates also help in portion control. Making small Chapatti, idlis, cheelas and cutlets also benefits in portion control.
Eat slowly- It is most important strategy for mindful eating. Try to eat your food slowly and chew them as many times as possible. Don’t hurry while eating. Eating slowly helps you to enjoy the taste, flavor and texture of food. It also helps in easy digestion of food.
Pay attention to food- While eating try to avoid using digital devices like phone, television and laptop. Do not try to multitask. Always eat food on dinner table rather than on bed or any other place.
Eat good food- Eat food that is good for your overall health. So, include ginger, tulsi, prebiotic, probiotic, aloe vera, garlic, black pepper, turmeric and many more in your diet. These are good for immunity boosting purpose.