Many things occur when we eat mindfully. First, we're aware
of how much we are eating. We're more in tune with our body
signals which tell us when to eat, how much to eat and when
our bodies have had enough. As a result, we tend to overeat
less often because we are paying closer attention to what
our bodies need. Our bodies are determining when to eat as
opposed to the event, the clock or the show on TV.
Another benefit of eating mindfully is that we're able to
more fully enjoy our food because we are focused on the
flavor, texture, aroma, presentation and atmosphere which
surround us and the food we're eating. Our meals are more
satisfying and enjoyable, which makes it easier to end the
meal without that unfulfilled feeling which keeps us
searching for more. One of the most effective ways to do
this is to eat slowly, sitting down and concentrating on
the taste of what you're eating. For many moms however,
sitting down to a meal may be a rare treat. By sitting down
to a meal, many things happen. First you're becoming more
aware of the amount, type and reasons why you're eating.
The second positive outcome is better digestion. Your food
has an opportunity to be chewed, absorbed and digested more
fully so you get the benefit of the nutrients you're taking
in. Lastly, by eating mindfully you're sending an important
message to yourself and others that you are worthy and
deserving of some much needed self care. You are treating
yourself with some kindness and respect which overflows to
all those around you.
Picture a beautifully set table with candles, china and
sparkling silverware. Music is playing softly in the
background, it was an easy day with the kids, the food
looks delicious, you're hungry for your dinner and you
casually stroll to the table for your exquisitely prepared
meal. Sounds like it's not that difficult to eat mindfully
in this type of scenario, right? Now back to reality.
You're running late and grab something to go, the kids are
screaming, the dog is barking, the phone is ringing and the
kids are starving NOW! Here's your perfect scenario for
mindless munching. Another may be when you're able to catch
a quick break and grab a bag of something crunchy while you
read the newspaper, or when your hectic day is behind you
and all you want to do is stare at the TV with a bowl of
ice cream in your lap.
To eat mindfully, awareness comes first. You first need to
catch yourself eating when you're not hungry. So often we
eat mindlessly when we're passing food to others, making
snacks for the kids, preparing dinner, walking past the
candy dish at work, reading or watching TV. We may even
find ourselves looking to eat when we have a few minutes to
spare before our next activity and use food as a way to
kill some extra time. Sometimes we may wander into the
kitchen, open up the cabinets and wonder why we're even
there! This is different than emotional eating where food
is used as a coping mechanism offering quick relief or a
way to help control your emotional pain. This is mindless
eating where distractions and a lack of awareness cause you
to take in food when you're not hungry. What can you do?
With greater awareness, you learn more about what you need.
When you've learned what your specific needs are, you can
work towards solutions which satisfy those needs. So, first
stop and ask yourself why you're eating. Believe it or not,
you may not even realize you had anything in your hand or
your mouth. Ask yourself if you could possibly be thirsty
instead. Our thirst mechanism doesn't always work
effectively. We often think we're hungry when we are in
fact, thirsty. Next, ask yourself what you really need. If
you're bored, you need something to do. If you don't know
what you're feeling, you need to figure that out too.
If you're eating just because the food is there, here are a
few tricks you can try. One is to chew gum. If you just
want to keep your mouth busy, gum may satisfy that oral
need. You can also drink a glass of water or crunch on some
vegetables with low fat dip. Another trick is to use the
opportunity to whiten your teeth and put on a strip of
tooth whitener. You can't eat for 30 minutes when they're
on so you can spare yourself unnecessary calories while
brightening your teeth!
You may find it helpful to keep your hands busy as well.
Find things that make it difficult to use your hands for
eating by putting on a coat of nail polish, rubbing creamy
scented lotion on your hands, knitting or even wearing
rubber kitchen gloves! You can even try putting on that
bitter tasting nail polish designed to help you stop biting
your nails. It acts as a quick reminder not to eat while
helping your nails become long and beautiful!
Another trick is to find something to do such as brush the
dog's fur, clean a drawer or sort through the mail. There
are also visualizations you can try. Here's one thing you
can picture to give you a better idea of how much you're
eating. Picture a regular sized plate. Now picture that
plate with all of the snacks, bites and treats you grabbed
mindlessly. Put on the plate every thing you grabbed when
you walked by the candy dish, ate standing up, when you
were preparing dinner, talking (and chewing) on the phone,
feeding the kids or watching TV. How does the plate look,
is it overflowing?
Ending your habit of eating mindlessly takes patience and
practice. It's about finding the strategies that work best
for you, then applying them when you need it most. Food is
meant to be delicious and it's meant to be enjoyed. But in
order to get the most satisfaction, flavor and benefit from
what we take in, we need to eat every bite with a keen
awareness of what we're doing and why exactly we're doing
it.
----------------------------------------------------
Debi Silber, MS, RD, WHC is a Registered Dietitian,
Certified Personal Trainer, Whole Health Coach and
President of Lifestyle Fitness, Inc. For almost 20 years,
Debi has worked exclusively with moms, inspiring and
empowering them to become physically fit and emotionally
strong through gradual, lifestyle change. For more
information on the Lifestyle Fitness Program, please visit
http://www.lifestylefitnessinc.com
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