The way we eat is equally important as what we eat. When we are fully present for what and how we’re eating, we can derive more sustained pleasure from the eating experience, and our tendency to overeat or eat foods that do not serve us is reduced. Additionally, if we are stressed, tense, anxious and unaware when we eat, the digestive process is compromised, resulting in low energy, digestive distress (IBS, diarrhea, constipation), and sub-optimal nutrition from our food (healthy or not).
Slowing down and being present for your eating process results in greater satisfaction from the food you eat. Here’s why:
1. We taste all of the flavor profiles in the food. Flavor is satisfying!
2. We allow time for Leptin (the hormone that signals the brain that we are full) to interact with dopamine, resulting in a feeling of pleasure and satisfaction after we eat. When we eat too fast, we do not experience this pleasure response until after we’ve already overeaten, which can have it’s own host of physical and physiological side effects.
Bringing mindfulness into the eating process supports healthy digestion and optimal nutrition, prevents us from over-eating, cultivates more self-awareness, and generally brings about more sustained enjoyment from food and eating.
Use these tips to be more mindful of your eating process:
1. Light a candle before you eat (and maybe even as you cook) to ritualize the experience and create a relaxed ambiance.
2. Take a moment before digging in to cherish your food and bring mindfulness into the eating process, whatever this means to you: 3 deep breaths, expressing gratitude to the chef (even if its you!), noticing the aromas of the food, imagining where the food came from, or saying grace or some other form of prayer.
3. Chew thoroughly, bringing your full awareness to the flavor profiles of the foods and the simple act of chewing. Try not to distract yourself from the chewing process by watching TV, reading or checking email. Of course, eating in loving company is the best way to eat, so in this situation we multi-task.
4. Set your utensil down between bites, chewing and swallowing each bite fully before taking another. I like to use chopsticks when I can; this encourages me to take smaller bites and forces me to slow down.
5. Continue to check in with your senses, your breath and your body throughout the meal. Ask yourself: am I satisfied? Stop when you are! Be mindful of what thoughts and feelings arise as you eat and after you’re done: are they negative, positive? What eating behaviors lead to which thoughts?
The most important part of mindful eating is to thoroughly enjoy your food, both for the taste and life-giving nutrients it is providing you.
About the Author
Allie Andrews is the Founder and Program Director at OmBody Health. She is a Certified Health Coach, author, and is pursuing her Master’s Degree in Education with a focus in Corporate Wellness. Allie and her team have been transforming employee wellbeing since 2014. Learn more.