Over the past week, how many times have you sat down, taken a deep breath and allowed the time to be thankful for the food in front of you? My honest answer is none, nip, nup, despite knowing better and I can definitely feel a difference within. I’m not here to badger, I get it, between emails, texts and work deadlines we hardly have the time to look up, let alone look adoringly at our food!
My aim here is to make you aware of this and consider…. Maybe you are not getting where you want with your health goals because you are solely focused on what you are eating. Its not your fault, we are fed so much information surrounding what to eat its only natural to have a food fret 3 x daily over what to eat....not how to eat! If this sounds like you, it may be time to take a step back and actually consider how you are eating?
Research suggests that how one eats is as important as what we eat. Specifically, eating slowly and mindfully correlates with better blood sugar control and reduces the incidence of binge eating and/or stress eating. It may also impact our food choice and reduce our desire for fatty high sugar foods.
My tips for more mindful eating:
- Always sit down and take a deep breath before eating – non-negotiable!
- Take a moment to look at your food and notice what you like about it and feel your excitement to eat it (please note, salivation is allowed and expected!)
- If feeling stressed, move to a place where you feel calmer (yes, you can take your food with you!)
- Put your phone on silent and do not bring it to the table with you, turn off any screens or other distractions
- Chew each bite until liquid and if necessary place your knife and fork down between bites
- Try to prepare your food more often – appreciate and thank yourself for the time you took to nourish you
All in all, how you eat is most definitely part and parcel with what you eating when looking to take better care of yourself and have a healthier relationship with food (and you!). If you think this is a barrier to achieving your goals or even feeling more comfortable with your relationship with food, try a few of the tips above and see how mindful eating can transform your relationship with food.
Casey Dick | Passionate Dedicated Natural Nutritionist | Brisbane, Australia, Dietary Nutritionist, Healthy Body and Mind Advocate, Natural Hormone Balance & Healthy Weight Loss, Natural Skin Health, Anorexia, Eating Disorder Recovery, Orthorexia, Thyroid, Non-dieting Approach, Gut Health, Nutritionist specialises in PCOS, Why can’t I lose weight, Weight Loss Resistance