Eating is one of the basic needs you need to ensure your survival. As the world becomes a global ‘village’, you can get whatever cuisine your heart desires. However, the easy accessibility of ordering food has made you eat way more than you should. This lead to the increase in obesity and weight-related illness. To control this behavior from getting worse, you have to change your lifestyles by practicing mindfulness. Below are 5 simple steps to achieve mindful eating.
Don’t rush
With everything done faster plus your busy schedule, the best way to fill your stomach is grabbing it on the go. You can eat it in your car, at your office or even on your bed. Yes, it does help you to save time, but can lead to weight problems. It’s the contrast of mindful eating.
Mindful eating is all about giving yourself a time to enjoy the food and focus on processing and digesting it. Eating before going to bed will make it harder to break down those foods as your body supposedly focuses on repairing and resting itself. Hence, set your meal time and enjoy the food.
Be alert
To achieve mindful eating, you must learn how your body reacts to certain foods. For instance, you won’t feel great after eating a greasy hamburger. It just tastes good and fills you up fast. Humans tend to overeat, so be alert on how replete you get, how fast, how much food it takes to load you up. The goal of eating is not to feel sleepy afterward but to feel good about what you have eaten.
Scan your surroundings
You are living in the technology era. So, your phones and television can be the reasons that cause you a distraction during your meal time. However, mindful eating is all about removing the disturbance around you. Put your phone away, get out of bed or couch and sit at the table. Choose a designated spot every time you eat so that your brain and body know that it’s your meal time. Family dinner might have gone extinct, but you can start doing it again. Gather around and served yourself with healthy yet delicious foods. And don’t forget to catch up with one another.
Don’t define food
Emotional eating is never good. Don’t teach your brain to think you’ll need an ice cream when you’re sad. Instead, find the real reason for your sadness in the first place. Don’t mix emotions with food. Try to block any feelings that is associate with food. By making this your habit, you will eat less, feeling better, and not stuffing your face when your boss mad at you.
The food’s path
To enjoy a mindful meal, you can try to trace the food’s path. Think of where your food came from as you’re devouring it. Ponder on how the farmer raises the cow. Ponder about the wife who helped on the farm and took care of their children at the same time. Picture the lakes and streams where you got the source of water. Ponder about the trees that grow the fruit. You will feel more connected to your food, and getting a whole new eating experience.
