Eating is a natural, healthy, and enjoyable activity for satisfying hunger. However, in our diet obsessed, food-abundant culture, eating is often mindless, consuming, and guilt-inducing instead. We can avoid the cyclical pattern of over eating throughout the holiday season and dieting to prepare for the summer by practicing mindful eating all year round.
What is Mindful Eating?
- Choosing foods with the intention of nourishing your body.
- Paying full attention to how your body responds to food (bloating, gas, upset stomach, energy boosting, mood enhancing, heartburn, etc.).
- Eating without distraction. I’m not implying you sit in silence by yourself, just that you are conscious of when and why you are eating. Are you bored? Are you in a hurry? Are you starving? Are you emotional?
Here are a few tips to help you eat more mindfully:
- Slow down: It takes roughly 20 minutes for your brain to register satiety (fullness) so when eating quickly your chances of over eating are much higher.
- Don’t skip meals: Your body needs at least 1200 calories a day just to function. When you skip meals you’re likely depriving your body of nutrients which diminishes your intuitive hunger signals.
- Plate your meals: It’s easy to snack while you are cooking, or on your kid’s leftovers, or spend the day grazing, but part of consciousness is being aware of your meals and how much you are eating.
- Accept what you’re feeling: Some days we eat well, and some days we don’t eat as well. Eating can be an incredibly emotional struggle. If you feel stress or sadness while eating, accept those feelings. Mindfulness is about being conscious and accepting of your emotions, not about hiding them. When you can avoid fighting these feelings they’ll be less likely to stick around and rule you and your eating habits.
This Thanksgiving take some time to practice mindfulness. It’s the perfect time to give thanks for what we have and stop focusing on what we don’t have.
Our Power Up Mission is simply to educate our customers on the importance of using quality food as fuel. For all your Power Up news make sure you check out Vince’s Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Make sure you follow @VincesMarket and #powerupwithvinces, sign up for our Power Up Newsletter and keep an eye out for nutrition tips and tricks from me, our in-house nutrition expert!
Have a great Thanksgiving weekend,
Danielle
In-House Holistic Nutritionist (R.H.N.),
Natural Chef., R.M.T.
