What mindful eating is, how to practice it, and how you could benefit
Do you ever sit down to eat a meal, and before you know it, you're already done? Or do you ever eat a snack while watching TV, and soon you're uncomfortably full?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture found that in 2011, the average American spent two-and-a-half hours eating each day. Over 50% of this time spent eating, people were also preoccupied with something else [1]. This is the perfect description of mindless eating -- being distracted from one's eating experience.
Mindful eating is the exact opposite and has many beneficial outcomes.
What Is Mindful Eating?
Mindful eating is an approach that encourages being in the present moment while eating and non-judgmentally noticing all the physical and emotional sensations [1]. This approach engages all of the senses. It encourages focusing on the colors, smells, tastes, flavors, textures and sounds when eating. It encourages you to take note of how you feel before, during, and after their meal. It encourages savoring and enjoying one's experience with food.
Nelson describes how "mindfulness is a process-oriented, rather than an outcome-driven, behavior. It is based on an individual’s experience of the moment. The individual focuses on appreciating the experience of food and is not concerned with restricting intake. The person eating chooses what and how much to consume" [2].
What Are The Benefits?
Scientific studies have revealed that mindful eating has shown to...
Increase pleasure when eating [1]
Increase feelings of control over eating habits [3, 4]
Improve ones ability to recognize the sensation of fullness [3]
Eating too quickly (mindless eating) can decrease your ability to realize when you're full [5]. This is because it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to recognize that your stomach is full.
When you eat slower (mindful eating), your brain has more time to recognize the "fullness" signal. This is why mindful eating often leads to eating less or not overeating [3].
Significantly decrease concern over body image, weight, and shape [6, 1]
Significantly decrease food cravings [7]
Significantly decrease emotional eating [3, 7]
Significantly decrease restrictive eating [3]
Significantly decrease thin idealization (the idealization of the thin body) [3]
Significantly decrease the consumption of sweets [8]
How Do I Eat More Mindfully?
Eat without distractions and sit down!
Eating without distractions also means sitting down! If you're walking around, your body is exerting more energy than it needs to and diverting energy away from digesting your food.
Examine your hunger:
Why are you eating? Is it out of habit? Are you eating because of the emotions you are feeling? Are you waiting until you're too hungry? Do you find yourself eating mindlessly or over-eating?
Remember to be NONJUDGEMENTAL! Whatever the reason you are eating is OKAY! Just notice it. The more you examine your hunger non-judgmentally, the more you can get in tune with why you're eating, and the better you will become at deciding if you truly want to eat.
Take a deep breath before you eat:
You want your parasympathetic nervous system to be activated when you are eating. This helps you to best digest your food. Check out some suggestions here.
Thank, thank, thank:
Think about all the work it took to grow, harvest, and prepare this meal. Think of the people involved, from those who planted the food, to those who handled it in the grocery store, to those who prepared it. Think of everything from the microbiome of the soil, to the energy of the sun. Think of the nutrients and energy this food will provide you.
There is always someone or something to thank. This practice doesn't have to be out loud. You can practice thankfulness in your head. Just simply becoming aware of and appreciating all the work that went into making one meal is a great first step of mindful eating.
Use all of your senses:
How does the food look? What does it smell like? How does it taste? How does it feel to your body while eating it? How does your body feel after eating?
Take small bites and chew, chew, chew:
It's suggested to chew your food 20-40 times before swallowing. Chewing your food helps you eat slower, which helps your brain register when you're full. It also benefits your digestion [5].
Pause:
Put your fork down between bites to take a breath. This is a great way to remember to focus on the sensations.
Enjoy!
We are so lucky to have access to food we can eat, so don't forget to enjoy it!
My Personal Experience and Tips
It would be difficult to eat mindfully all the time. I try to eat mindfully as much as possible. Realistically I don't do it for every meal. Life gets in the way, and all I can do is try my best.
It is easier for me to strive to eat mindfully for at least one meal a day. I focus on my breakfast. My breakfast also happens around the same time everyday. Starting my day with mindful eating sets me up to be mindful the rest of the day. I also try to include at least one mindful eating tip for each meal. For example, taking a deep breath before or during a meal is a simple and easy way to be mindful.
Do what sounds manageable for you and see how you feel. My favorite part of mindful eating is that it applies to any food -- hamburger, vegetables, ice cream, or your morning tea. Just remember to be nonjudgmental and enjoy!
Resources:
https://www.thecenterformindfuleating.org/ has free webinars, guided meditations, video recordings, and more!
The book Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch discusses mindful eating and many other great topics! I read it and loved it!
1
Harvard T.H. Chan. School of Public Health. (2020, September). Mindful Eating. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/mindful-eating/#:~:text=Mindful%20eating%20focuses%20on%20your,your%20responses%20to%20those%20cues.%20%5B
2
Nelson J. B. (2017). Mindful Eating: The Art of Presence While You Eat. Diabetes spectrum : a publication of the American Diabetes Association, 30(3), 171–174. https://doi.org/10.2337/ds17-0015
3
Warren, J., Smith, N., & Ashwell, M. (2017). A structured literature review on the role of mindfulness, mindful eating and intuitive eating in changing eating behaviours: Effectiveness and associated potential mechanisms. Nutrition Research Reviews, 30(2), 272-283. doi:10.1017/S0954422417000154
4
Miller CK, Kristeller JL, Headings A, Nagaraja H. Comparison of a Mindful Eating Intervention to a Diabetes Self-Management Intervention Among Adults With Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Health Education & Behavior. 2014;41(2):145-154. doi:10.1177/1090198113493092
5
North Western Medicine. Quick dose: is eating too fast unhealthy?https://www.nm.org/healthbeat/healthy-tips/nutrition/quick-dose-is-eating-too-fast-unhealthy#:~:text=It%20takes%20about%2020%20minutes,you%20to%20make%20healthier%20choices
6
Atkinson, M. J., & Wade, T. D. (2015). Mindfulness-based prevention for eating disorders: A school-based cluster randomized controlled study. The International journal of eating disorders, 48(7), 1024–1037. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.22416
7
Alberts, H. J., Thewissen, R., & Raes, L. (2012). Dealing with problematic eating behaviour. The effects of a mindfulness-based intervention on eating behaviour, food cravings, dichotomous thinking and body image concern. Appetite, 58(3), 847–851. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2012.01.009
8
Mason, A.E., Epel, E.S., Kristeller, J. et al. Effects of a mindfulness-based intervention on mindful eating, sweets consumption, and fasting glucose levels in obese adults: data from the SHINE randomized controlled trial. J Behav Med 39, 201–213 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-015-9692-8
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