Benefits of Mindful Eating
We all remember our parents telling us, “slow down and chew your food!” Well, they weren’t wrong. The concept of “mindful eating” is a very important one, and it goes beyond your physical health and eating habits. It plays an important role in our relationship with our minds, our bodies, and the present moment.
What is Mindful Eating?
The concept of mindful eating is not to shame your current eating patterns; it’s a tool to be in the present moment with your food and your body. By definition, it’s a “practice that involves paying close attention to the process of eating, without judgement or restriction”. Some may choose to practice mindful eating for different reasons than the next, but here are the main reasons one might choose to practice it:
- Engages all senses
- Slow down and being in the present moment
- Maintain overall health and wellbeing
- Foster a healthy relationship with food
What are the Benefits?
There are many benefits to mindful eating, and we’re here to just name a few! The practice of mindful eating can foster healthy eating habits and choices. The more you practice, the more you’ll find your body craves foods that are good for you, and you’ll look forward to sitting down and eating your meals. Not only this, but with practice, you’ll be able to recognize fullness cues and understand when your body is actually satiated and full.
Any sort of mindful habit is good to help get you into the present moment. Especially with living in a world that’s constantly moving with a million distractions, it’s so important to slow down and sit with yourself. By learning to be present, you can help calm anxious thoughts and tune into your body. Sometimes we eat to soothe our emotions and thoughts rather than hunger. Mindful eating helps us recognize these triggers when our bodies really need food, and when we need comfort.
Slowing down with our food can help to slow down our mind and lower our stress levels, too. Taking time to eat your food can help your body get out of fight-or-flight mode by engaging our senses and giving our body time to process and digest our food. Slowing down in this aspect of your life may help you to slow down and be present in other areas of your life, too!
How to Practice Mindful Eating
Create a beautiful plate to sit and eat. Think lots of colors, textures, and variety. We eat with our eyes first! It’s also important to eat while you’re sitting and not standing or walking.
Bring yourself to the present moment. The whole point of mindful eating is to be present with your food. Before eating, take a few deep breaths, give thanks for the food you’re about to eat, and tune into your body. Remember to keep the TV off and your phone on “do not disturb” while you eat.
Eat slowly and engage your senses. Take some time to engage with how the food smells, the textures it has, how it looks, tastes, etc. The best way to be present is to engage all of your senses. This will also make your eating experience more enjoyable.
Put utensils or food down between bites. Slow down and be with the food you’re eating. We know, we’re really pushing the whole, “be present” idea, but that’s the whole point!
Check in with yourself every couple of minutes. It takes time for our food to reach our stomach after eating it, which is why it’s important to check in with your body. If you start to feel full, consider your meal complete. Otherwise, sit for another 10-20 minutes and if you still feel hungry, drink some water and finish your food.
Most importantly, enjoy your food. Food isn’t only used for fuel, it can be used for pleasure, too! Engage with foods that taste good and are good for you. A good rule of thumb is to have foods on your plate that you need like your protein and your vegetables and then add what you want like a small piece of chocolate or some of the takeout leftovers you’ve been thinking about all day. What’s the point of being present with an activity you don’t enjoy?
Mindful eating is just one way we can slow down, care for ourselves, and listen to what our bodies need. The same goes for mental health—sometimes, part of caring for ourselves means recognizing when extra support (like therapy or medication) could make a difference. If you’re curious about how medication management might fit into your self-care routine, our team at Every Rose Psychiatry is here to help you explore your options. You can call us at (813) 922-1532 or text us at (813) 421-4211.