🤔 How often do you find yourself scarfing down your meals while multitasking? Do you even have time to taste your food? Can you remember any details about your food? No judgement here, I’ve been there. Nothing better than digging into some food while watching your favorite YouTube videos …..or is there? Mindful Eating just might change your life. I know it did mine. This was the first practice that was my aha moment with mindfulness.
“So, this is what mindfulness is? 💡”
When walking, walk. When eating, eat.
🧘 Understanding Mindful Eating
Mindful eating involves bringing full awareness to the experience of eating. It means slowing down, observing our food without judgment, and paying attention to our body’s signals of hunger and fullness. This practice encourages us to step away from autopilot eating and develop a more conscious relationship with our food.
🍽️ How to Practice Mindful Eating
You will find more information on Mindful Eating below but if you want to dig right in, you can check out video below.
If YouTube videos aren’t your thing. I’ve included written instructions below.
👩🏻🏫 Mindfulness Practice: Mindful Eating
☑️ General Steps
⏰ Time and Frequency
Start with one mindful meal per day, ideally lasting 20-30 minutes. As you become more comfortable with the practice, extend it to more meals. Even dedicating 5 minutes to eating mindfully can make a difference. Many practitioners recommend starting with breakfast, as morning meals often face less time pressure.
🕰️ History
Mindful eating has its roots in Buddhist teachings, particularly in the practice of mindfulness (sati). The modern interpretation emerged in the 1970s through Jon Kabat-Zinn’s Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. Dr. Jan Chozen Bays and Dr. Susan Albers later developed specific protocols for mindful eating in their pioneering works “Mindful Eating: A Guide to Rediscovering a Healthy and Joyful Relationship with Food” (2009) and “Eating Mindfully” (2003), respectively.
🌟 Benefits and Therapeutic Applications
Research has shown mindful eating can:
- Reduce binge eating and emotional eating behaviors
- Improve weight management
- Lower stress levels around food
- Enhance digestion
- Increase meal satisfaction
- Better regulate appetite hormones
- Improve symptoms of eating disorders
- Reduce anxiety and depression
📖 Scientific Research and Further Reading
“Kristeller JL, Wolever RQ. Mindfulness-based eating awareness training for treating binge eating disorder: the conceptual foundation. Eat Disord. 2011 Jan-Feb;19(1):49-61. doi: 10.1080/10640266.2011.533605. PMID: 21181579.
Shaw R, Cassidy T. Self-Compassion, Mindful Eating, Eating Attitudes and Wellbeing Among Emerging Adults. J Psychol. 2022;156(1):33-47. doi: 10.1080/00223980.2021.1992334. Epub 2021 Nov 11. PMID: 34762553.
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