TipsJournal

Does the thought of eating less seem impossible? Your new year resolution is to eat mindfully and be there but with frequent office parties and friday evening get-togethers, it does seem to be an impossible experience. If this overwhelms and stresses you out, don’t despair because we have got your back. Here are some tips to help you practice mindful eating.

Focus on What You Are Eating

Our world is full of fitness experts and nutritionists who keep spewing recommendations about good and bad foods.They keep telling you what you should or shouldn’t eat. But rarely would you find someone who will tell you that while what you are eating is important, how you eat is equally important. This includes your feelings, thoughts and the situation that guides your food choices. So, pay attention to how you eat.

Ditch the Guilt

An important lesson while eating mindfully is ditching the guilt. Often, people around you will shame you for eating wrong foods or failing to follow a diet. They make you feel like a failure. When you practice mindful eating, you stop judging your decision. Observe what your body is telling you and eat without guilt.

Pay Attention To Your Senses

When you are shopping for food, cooking and eating, pay attention to your senses. How does the food smell, or feel while you are prepping or cooking? How does it feel when you are consuming it? Stop for a while and observe what your senses are telling you.

Appreciate Food

Take a moment to appreciate the food in front of you. Notice how the food feels when you bite into it. Observe the people who are sharing the food with you. The shape, texture, the smell and colors should all be enticing. What are your favorite smells and how do you react to the food?

Are you hungry?

The best time to eat is when you feel hungry. But this is not true when you skip meals and come to the table ravenous. Why are you eating? Is it because of boredom, stress or are you really hungry? Tune in to what your body is telling you.

Most people do not practice mindful eating. Eating is a natural process for them. Work pressure, family problems and stress makes you eat mindlessly. If it is work pressure, you just eat during the small interval you have and quickly get back to work. It is either that or you risk remaining hungry all day. The truth is that even when you have such a small window, you can still eat mindfully.

One of the best things to do is be aware of what you are going to eat. And the reason why you are eating. When you contemplate the reason for eating, you will realize the reason and thus it becomes mindful eating.

Whether or not you are aware of it, food affects your health too. It affects your physical and mental well being and the way you manage your response. It affects your energy levels, makes you feel lazy and sluggish and even your mood.

Decrease your sugar and processed food consumption. Include more vegetables and fruits. Listen to your body and eat only when you are hungry. Avoid stress eating. And when you are aware of the reason why you are eating, you start practicing mindful eating and are able to manage those food cravings.

Eating mindfully is like an exercise. The more you practice the better it gets. You have good control over your nutrition and diet. Slow down, focus on what you are eating and your eating habits.