Mindful Eating For Weight Loss



It’s a term being mentioned more and more in health circles and for good reason. Mindful eating is the simple practice of acknowledging everything you eat and experiencing the sensations and feelings that come with it. It may not seem like a concept that could help with weight loss but the evidence is mounting in its favour.

If you’re thinking it’s all just airy-fairy, it’s not. Mindful eating also refers to preparing and eating quality, fresh ingredients that nourish your body. It was originally a concept associated with the Mediterranean style of eating, which is predominantly based on fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, seeds, nuts and vegetable oils.

The practice of mindful eating is heavily associated with optimal digestion as it encourages a slow and mindful approach to chew and eat. This is all based on the connection between the mind and gut, which is incredibly important when it comes to weight loss, as well as general health.

Purchasing fresh, quality whole foods is the first step to mindful eating. It always helps to write a list to take shopping as this will prevent you from buying food you don’t really need. Focus on the foods mentioned above.

A big part of mindful eating is to never consume your food when you’re ravenously hungry. This will prevent you from really appreciating your food and enjoying the process. Make sure you’re eating regularly to maximise the process.

The key is eating smaller portions regularly, which in turn will allow you to enjoy and appreciate every bite. Pause before eating and consider everything it took to get the food to this point and express gratitude for what you’re eating.

When you eat, let your body and mind experience every sense that comes with it. Smell the food, taste it and give yourself time to experience it. Let yourself identify every taste.

This practice is something that should be done for digestion alone. The more we can chew our food the better. The general rule is to chew 20 – 40 times depending on the food.

Enjoy the process and appreciate every element. If you follow all the above steps this should be quite easy. It’s all about appreciation, acknowledgment and being grateful for your food.