MINDFUL EATING
When we talk about mindfulness, people can get stressed thinking they have to allocate large amounts of time and energy to it. The trick is to simplify it and bring it naturally into your day. For me, being more mindful is learning to pay attention more to what is happening in the moment. We can do this while driving, cleaning, and exercising, or indeed, during conversations with friends, but one of the most important times to really try and become more mindful is at mealtimes.
We are always being told about what we should eat, but what about how we should eat? How many of us eat on the run or at our desks, or in front of the TV? This mindless form of eating is wreaking havoc on our health. We have lost our connection to food, and food is our life source, so it’s important that we understand the value of not just eating right, but also eating mindfully.
A lot of people view food as the problem in life, and are constantly on diets, restricting the very thing that nourishes us physically, socially, emotionally and spiritually. When we switch this up and see food as a solution, it can help us to reconnect to ourselves, our emotions, and our habits around eating.
Health is all about balance, and the winter months are the perfect time to reconnect with food in a deeply nourishing way. Christmas time is also about food, and connecting with those we love. It shouldn’t be about feeling bad or guilty afterwards.
How we eat is how we live, and how we live is how we eat. In other words, our relationship to food and eating represents our relationship to our lives. Think about how you eat, keep a food diary for a week and start to notice how you are treating yourself through food. If we eat artificial, processed and fast food, than we become that. Do you eat for emotional reasons, which is basically eating instead of feeling? This is something most of us do on a day-to-day basis, so don’t worry, you are not alone. The trick is to tune in, slow down and pay attention.
The benefits of mindful eating are plentiful, but, most importantly, your digestion is improved. When you are stressed and busy, you are in what’s called ‘fight or flight’ mode or stressed mode. This is when the sympathetic nervous system is stimulated, leading to all sorts of digestive problems — starting with your digestive system being shut down, and fewer digestive enzymes being released.
There is also less hydrochloric acid released in your stomach, which is not good, as you need HCL to break down carbohydrates, fats and proteins into the vitamins and minerals that are needed for optimal health. If you are stressed, your hormones and mood will also be affected and your immunity compromised. So, here’s some of my top tips: EAT SLOWER, AND BREATHE Most of us eat too fast, so even slowing down a bit your eating will help enormously. Take three deep breaths before each meal, as this will help encourage your body into a parasympathetic mode — aka, ‘rest and digest’, the one you want! Also, when you slow down, you are more likely to notice when you are full. CHEW, CHEW, CHEW Most of us barely chew these days, but chewing allows your food to be mixed with digestive enzymes in the mouth. This helps to begin the digestive process. It will also help you to eat less. NO DISTRACTIONS Turn off the TV, phone and step away from the computer. All of these distractions encourage mindless eating, so instead of tuning into your devices, tune into to the taste, smell and colour of your food, which will help to stimulate the senses and connect your body and mind with your food.