Do you often feel frustrated after a meal because you feel like you have consumed more food than necessary? Especially if you are trying to control your weight, it can be beneficial to practice mindful eating. Continue reading to know what it is and for you to learn some tips on how it can be incorporated into your life.
Simply put, mindful eating is being aware of what you are putting in your mouth. Many studies show that it’s something that can actually help save you from overeating, consuming lots of calories and ultimately gaining excess pounds. Without popping any pill in your mouth, mindful eating can help you manage your weight effectively.
Lots of distractions tend to be around when you are eating. It can be thinking about a stressful task at work. It can be a chatty officemate. It can be a hilarious TV sitcom currently being aired. No matter what it is that’s keeping you from focusing solely on your eating, it’s something that is taking away mindful eating.
When you practice mindful eating, you tend to appreciate food more. Because of this, there is satisfaction. On the other hand, being distracted may make it feel like food on your plate simply vanished into thin air when in fact it’s already in your tummy. What you do is reach for more food as you don’t seem to feel satisfied.
So how can you adapt a more mindful eating habit? Here are some tips:
- Use your non-dominant hand. Eating with your non-dominant hand can make everything a challenge. Because of this, the pacing of your eating becomes slow, thus allowing you to be a more mindful eater. It’s also a wonderful idea to reach for a fork instead of a spoon, and then employ it with your non-dominant hand.
- Place your utensils on the plate after every bite. As soon as you take a bite and start chewing, put your spoon, fork and/or knife on the plate. Do not pick it up for as long as there’s food in your mouth. Performing this each time will keep you from shoving food in your mouth in rapid succession.
- Switch off anything with a display panel. Before you start munching, consider turning off the TV set or laptop in front of you, or putting your smart phone in silent mode — and stashing it in your bag or pocket. Without modern-day distractions, you can focus more on the treat served in front of you.
- Chew your food really well. Time and again, it is very important to chew your food well for satiety as well as proper digestion. Chewing your food at least 20 times allows you to slowly introduce food into your stomach, which enables the said organ to tell your brain that it’s full at the exact moment that it becomes full.
- Have your meals unaccompanied. Eating alone is not for losers — it’s actually great especially for those who wish to become mindful eaters. Spending your mealtime in complete silence lets you focus on what you are eating — its color, smell, texture, taste. Because of this, you get to really appreciate what you are having.
- Go for a small plate. If you’re not seeing a lot of food, then it is less likely for you to crave plenty of it. This is the reason why it is a wonderful idea for you to go for a small-sized plate each and every mealtime. It’s also recommend for you to pick a blue one because this color is said to have an appetite-suppressing effect.
- Don’t consume everything just to clean your plate. Most of us were told when we were little to not leave anything on our plates uneaten — or else we couldn’t leave the table. If you want to be a mindful eater, then leave this practice in the past! Prevent food wastage by stashing leftovers in the fridge.
