Mindful Eating: Discovering 7 Healthy Benefits through Mindful Dining

Mindful eating is actually a continuous and sustained experience of eating which directs about eating healthy and balanced diet, management of food related cravings and also assist in weight loss.  Mindful eating helps in making viable and feasible food choices.

Mindful eating is not merely related to eating regimen but it’s also consider overall spectrum of eating food.

As mindful eating focuses on the food origins, where from the came, who prepared food, how prepared food and what are nutritional benefits of certain foods.

The surveys conducted on eating habits in 2022 revealed that around 16% people emphasize upon clean eating, 14% on mindful eating and 13% people eat through counting their calories.

Mindful eating facilitate in long run weight loss as well due to comprehension of hunger and food awareness practices.

A study revealed that most of the people around 80% regain their lose weights after 5 years. So, the observance of valid eating regimen is inevitable.

What is Mindful Eating?

Mindful eating is food related moment to moment awareness. Mindful eating assist in comprehending signals from foods concerning their tastes, smell and utility.

Mindful eating is a mechanism which requires timely acceptance and acknowledgement rather than judgmental orientation.

Mindful eating not only facilitates correct food related decision but also helps in shopping, consuming and preparing things.

Mindful eating emphasis upon brain involved eating rather than brainless eating.

For instance, most of the people use to eat their meals in cars, on office tables, in busses or trains without noticing the taste, aroma and utility of the eaten food.

It’s basically a mindless eating which is discouraged because such eating  do not contribute in overall wellbeing. Mindful eating is opposite to it.

Mindful eating is not to follow rigid rules to eat and consume rather it’s basically emphasize upon rational eating through involving maximum senses while shopping, preparing and eating.

What are Benefits of Mindful eating?

It is helpful in making right food choices depending upon experience derived through senses. It relies mainly on taste, experience, aroma, texture and fullness of food.

Mindful eating assists in avoiding overeating and regulates eating habits. There are some benefits of mindful eating which are as follows:

·        Easing anxiety and stress

·        Increase self awareness regarding choice, taste and preference.

·        Gives opportunity to derive a pleasure while eating certain food

·        Improves digestion

·        Helps in abstaining from over eating

·        Facilitate in making right food choices

·        Ensures balanced eating through selecting better food sources

What is difference between Mindful Eating and Mindless Eating?

Mindless eating is contrasting domain from mindful eating. Former don’t follow instincts and senses which ultimately leads towards unhealthy food choices and poor health outcomes.

While later more emphasize upon rational, sensible and productive way of eating b involving brain and senses to derive maximum pleasure while eating meals.

One can make a contrast between mindful and mindless eating in such a way as:

·        Such eating is eating by involving all senses and focus while mindless eating is abrupt, casual and auto pilot eating without involving senses and brain.

·        Mindless eating is eating without schedule as eating while in stress, depression and boredom while mindful eating is rational eating to satisfy hunger.

·        Mindless eating is eating unhealthy, processes or junk foods while mindful eating is focused eating by consuming natural sources of food i.e. fruits and vegetables.

·        Mindless eating is eating very quickly without experiencing taste and texture while mindful eating is eating rather slowly.

·        Mindless eating is eating haphazardly without interpreting body signals to stop while mindful eating focus and comprehend brain signals to stop to avoid over eating.

How to make a practice to eat mindfully?

It indulges in total food awareness while eating. Therefore, the eating while watching TV, while reading or gossiping on mobile phones is strictly discouraged.

One must eat rationally and with present mindedness. There are certain ways to ensure and make a routine of it which are as follows:

·        Take a deep breath before eating and focus mainly on the food which is close to nature and pure.

·        Utilize all human senses to first of all choosing all food items, considering their taste and utility, their smell and health outcomes.

Afterwards, eat slowly and mindfully to be aware of its overall ambience.

·        Enhance your mind full experience while eating your food.

The posture, surroundings and distractions also contribute in good or bad experience so keep a track on all these things through keen observation.

·        Ask yourself, whether you are hungry or not. Because unnecessary eating, without hunger may have adverse consequences.

So, one must be sure that one having need to eat depending upon hunger or just want to eat on the basis of craving, depression, sadness or want to change mind.

Therefore, self tuning is really important while practicing such eating regimen.

·        Ask yourself about taste, smell and overall experience regarding food. Also emphasize upon colors, textures and shapes of food.

·        Be really proactive to assess fullness. It can only be possible when senses are attached while eating.

·        Focus on My Plate concept while eating and make balanced and healthy food choices.

·        One should present gratitude and reflections regarding food and its overall experience.

Actually, it is a complete procedure to follow and one must adhere to it to make the normal food a happy meal.

Most of the people due to certain professional obligations may not consider it practical.

Because they might rush towards offices and have a very little window for proper eating even such circumstances one should at least avoid mindless eating.

Emotional eating should also be avoided. By doing so, emotions, feelings and preferences could be attached with your eating and build up a very strong eating routine.

But, eating mindfully helps in avoiding external eating which is based upon certain smell, craving or external factors and emotional eating which is emotions based rather than hunger based.

Does eating mindfully helps in weight loss?

It is a thorough pattern of eating rationally and mindfully through involving all senses couples with keen observation and reflections.

So, it helps in making right food choices and emphasize upon the instinct of fullness.

This eating routine is based upon comprehending body signals of fullness which helps in stop eating.

When one avoid over eating and stop eating food further in such circumstances yes in longer run weight loss is possible.

But, skipping food is not recommended at all for weight loss purposes because it may become lethal and may cause malnutrition.

Conclusion

Mindful eating is an eating routine to involve all senses of body while eating. It helps in making right food choices and facilitates eating healthy and balanced diet.

It further helps in avoiding over eating and ensuring proper body shape and weight. It is effective tool which is coupled with self awareness and observation become really supportive and healthy.

Finally, it makes a food more nutritious, healthy and enhances the honor of food which is served.

FAQs