“I CAN’T eat that or I’ll get fat…”
So not true.
We all know there are women who can eat whatever they want. I mean, technically all of us can eat whatever we want. But there are women who can eat whatever they want and not gain weight! Some people, on the other hand, live by the ethos of cutting out entire food groups. Which aside from being frickin’ HARD TO DO in the real world, is also not much fun. I’ve seen people swear off carbs, only to pass out as soon as they try to do anything more strenuous than carry their groceries in. And one time I had a woman try to explain to me why PORK RINDS were a better option than potato chips for weight loss. (By the way, pork rinds are, and I quote, “crispy chips made from slices of pig skin deep-fried in lard.”)
Regardless of WHAT DIETARY RULES you are following currently, I think that the principles of “MINDFUL EATING” are something we can all add into our daily lives.
WHAT is Mindful Eating?
There are a variety of approaches to mindful eating, some rooted in Zen and other forms of Buddhism, others tied to yoga.
You can research more to get super in-depth with it, but we are going to keep it simple here. BASICALLY – mindful eating is learning to pay attention. Instead of eating mindlessly, stuffing food into your mouth almost unconsciously, not really tasting the food you’re eating, you learn to PAY ATTENTION!!
You learn to pay attention to:
- Why you feel like eating, and what emotions or needs might be triggering the eating.
- What you’re eating, and whether it is healthy or not.
- The look, smell, taste, feel of the food you’re eating.
- How it makes you feel as you taste it, as you digest it, and throughout the day.
- How full (or sated) you are before, during and after eating.
- Your emotions during and after eating.
This is a skill, a form of meditation really, that you don’t just acquire overnight. It takes practice, and there will be times when you forget to eat mindfully, and there will be starts and stops. But with practice and attention, you can become very good at this.
The Benefits of Mindful Eating
The benefits of eating mindfully are amazing, and it’s important to know these benefits to become more aware of yourself as you practice this.
Benefits include:
- You learn to eat when you’re hungry, and stop when you’re sated.
- You learn to really taste food, and to enjoy the taste of healthy food.
- You slowly start to realize that unhealthy food isn’t as tasty as you thought, nor does it make you feel very good.
- As a result of the above three points, you will often lose weight if you’re overweight.
- You begin to sort through the emotional issues you have around food and eating. This takes a bit longer, but it’s important.
- Social overeating can become less of a problem — you can eat mindfully while socializing, with practice, and not overeat.
- You begin to enjoy the eating experience more, and as a result enjoy life more, when you’re more present.
- It can become a mindfulness ritual you look forward to.
- You learn how food affects your mood and energy throughout the day.
- You learn what food best fuels your exercise and work and play.
Again, there are other benefits, but these are some of the most important, in my experience.