Ever heard of mindful eating? Actually you
hear it all the time. Be aware of your food and enjoy it. Pay attention to
every single bite and not just eat for the sake of eating and filling up your
hungry growling stomach. In other words, your food deserves your full attention
just like a student paying full attention when the teacher is teaching.
Mindful eating can actually help you lose
weight. You are totally in control of the amount of food you take. Compared to
emotional eating when you eat every time you feel sad, lonely, depressed or
stressed, you are subconsciously eating without actually realizing what and how
much food you are putting into your mouth. Let us explore some of the common
bad eating habits.
In mindful eating, you chew your food
slowly and deliberately, marveling at its tastiness. Stop when you are almost full;
never stuff yourself until you feel bloated with food. Learn to listen to your
hunger cues. On the other hand, emotional eaters seek comfort in food and thus
tend to overeat. For the emotional eaters, try at least to snack on healthy
food such as fruits or even sugar free chewing gums. A better idea would be to
get involved in some healthy activities every time you have negative feelings.
Jump on your home treadmill and run until you sweat or go outdoors for a walk
if possible. Call up a friend or even saying a prayer helps too. You can even
try taking out your best cookware set, whip up a small portion of your favorite
food and eat from your best dinnerware. By the time the food is cooked and
ready, you would most probably be less emotional, and might not even want to
eat it. Save your home cooked meal for dinner instead.
A friend of mine always cleans her house
whenever she feels depressed. Out come her trusty Electrolux canister vacuum and before long, her house is spick and span. Looking with
pride at her clean house always put her back in a good mood.
Skipping meals and eating at irregular
times is another bad eating habit to avoid. Eating at irregular times is bad
for metabolism and can lead to muscle loss over the long term. Besides, it is
bad for your energy levels and this can cause a flaw in your attention span.
Added to these, you might overeat at your next meal as you would be hungry. Try
having small meals such as sandwiches, yogurt, mixed nuts or fruits if you
really have to skip meals because of work commitments or for other reasons. At
least, this helps to maintain your blood sugar level and metabolic rate, and
thus a far more effective fat burning to keep you in shape.
It is also not good to eat in front of the television
or while working at your computer. Remember, mindful eating ensures that you
will stop eating when almost full. You must pay attention to what you are
eating. No multitasking here! It also helps to eat from a smaller plate as it
gives the illusion of a full plate of food.
Try to cook food that satisfies the sense
of sight and smell. You will be more likely to savor your food and eat slowly,
enjoying every mouthful. That's why restaurant food is always nicely presented
to increase our appetite.
Eat smart the mindful way, enjoy your food,
maintain your weight and good health at the same time. Life is so wonderful
indeed!
