Practicing Mindful Eating
Every day we as humans stuff our faces with food without actually paying attention to impacts that food can have on our bodies. I guarantee that someone has just binged on some sort of fatty, fried and unhealthy food without knowing or thinking that they were bingeing on it. When we eat foods that are unhealthy for us, our bodies react to the substances by enhancing negative moods, gaining weight, even impacting one's self-esteem. But what is mindfulness? Mindfulness is really just a form of meditation that helps you realize and deal with the stresses of everything on your body. You don't actually have to meditate to practice mindfulness, you just have to realize it first and then take action.
How to start practicing mindful eating:
Before you eat, think about how you are feeling in that moment and think about how you have been feeling in the past after eating what you are about to eat. Do you feel good or do you feel tired and moody? Does it help you feel vibrant and energized? No? Then begin changing, starting with:
- Your grocery list. When you're shopping, try to stay away from the center aisles that are mostly filled with processed and junk foods.
- When eating, eat slowly and try distracting yourself from mindlessly sticking food in your mouth. Kind of how we eat popcorn at the movies.
- Think about if you're actually hungry or just eating your emotions away.
- When you are eating feel the textures, taste the flavors, think about how the smells make you feel and notice the colors.
- Notice how the food you have been eating has affected your figure and emotions.
- Chew your food completely before stuffing your mouth with food again and chew slowly.
The impact of being mindful of your food:
After making changes and being mindful of what you eat you'll start to see and feel the changes. Being mindful of your eating habits helps restore your cognitive function of registering actual hunger instead of emotional hunger, boosting confidence and body image, also helping with enhancing positive moods.
Practicing mindful eating positively effects the body and mind, but it takes time and patience. The Chiropractic Office of Dr. Gene Ross would like to encourage this act of meditation and help spread the awareness of mindfulness.
Sources:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/8-steps-to-mindful-eating
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/mindful-eating-guide#rationale
