Mindfulness involves being fully aware of what is happening within and around you in the moment. When using mindfulness around food, you’re present and aware to the whole experience of eating. You slow down the entire process and deliberately pay attention to what is happening both inside yourself – thoughts and emotions – and outside yourself, in your environment as you eat.

​

By removing distractions like TV, work or your mobile phone, and turning your attention to stimuli like the colors, smells, flavors, temperature and textures of your food, mindful eating helps to reconnect you with your physical body. By engaging all your senses, you derive more pleasure from your food and quite often, people who eat in such a conscious manner in fact end up eating less.

​

By observing internal thoughts, you start to pick up repetitive thought patterns and emotions that may lead to certain cravings and food choices. You are better able to distinguish between physical hunger and emotional hunger, and meet your needs with the appropriate form of nourishment, which may not necessarily be food. You are also more in touch with your body’s fullness signal and can eat to a point of being satisfied without overstuffing yourself. Ultimately, instead of allowing your feelings to rule your food choices mindlessly, you start to naturally control portions, choose healthy options and avoid emotional eating.

​

Mindful eating isn’t just about weight loss. When you tune in to your body’s real needs and start improving your eating habits, it will in turn have positive effects on your overall health and wellbeing. For those who have heard of the benefits of mindfulness like promoting calmness and clarity but have been daunted by the notion of a formal seated practice, mindful eating can serve as a stepping stone to help you weave mindfulness into your daily life. You will soon learn that in a place where food is a national past-time, mindful eating provides a perfect opportunity for pausing in a time-strapped world.

 

You can have your cake, and eat it too, one mindful bite at a time.

​

​