Health Feature Articles
Mindful Eating
Damaris Karanja, MA; Nutrition and Health Education Specialist, St. Louis County, University of Missouri Extension and Lynn Rossy, Ph.D. Health Psychologist; Healthy For Life T.E. Atkins University of Missouri Wellness Program
Do have a habit of eating when you are bored, lonely, stressed out, depressed or even tired? Sometimes we find ourselves eating, not because we are hungry, but because we are going through different emotions and we reach out to food for comfort. Personally, I have discovered that I tend to consume more calories when I attend long conferences where food is readily available for snacking purposes. Since I discovered this, I have looked for other ways to release the stress and occupy time either by coloring or playing with crafts. This has always worked and it takes my mind off of the food.
What is Mindful eating?
Mindful eating is simply defined as being conscious of why you are eating. This simple concept has helped people struggling with weight issues, eating disorders, body image and even self esteem. It is not about following recipes or counting calories. It’s about learning HOW and WHY you eat, and less about WHAT you eat. Mindful eating helps us to move away from the diet mentality and it puts us in touch with our inner self. The more you are in touch with your hunger and fullness, the less you need to count calories.
Eat, Drink & Be Mindful
Mindfulness is being diligently attentive to your body,
mind, thoughts and feelings as you eat.
- MINDFULNESS of the BODY
This involves listening to your body and being in touch with your inner self. How does your body tell you when it’s hungry or full? Does your stomach rumble, do you experience low energy levels or hunger pains? Do you ignore your body’s feedback? A good rule of thumb is to eat when your hunger scale is between 3 and 6 (on a scale of 1-10). At level 1 you are beyond hungry. You are totally out of energy, can’t concentrate and feel dizzy. At level 10 you are beyond full or stuffed, a typical Thanksgiving Dinner feeling – you are physically miserable, don’t want to or can’t move, and feel like you never want to look at food again. Conscious awareness of what is going on inside your body helps you know when you are satisfied rather than stuffed or starving.
- MINDFULNESS of the MIND
Are you concentrating and paying attention to every bite or are you eating mindlessly without paying attention to the texture, temperature, taste and even the sound of food? Eat your food slowly and pay attention to every single bite. I can’t tell you how many times I have heard people say, “I don’t know how I finished that bag of chips”. Pay attention to the quantity of food that you consume instead of eating or snacking mindlessly.
- MINDFULNESS of FEELINGS
What emotions do you experience that may trigger you either to start or stop eating? Sometimes the strongest longings for food happen when you're at your weakest point emotionally. Many people turn to food for comfort — consciously or unconsciously — when they're facing a difficult problem or looking to keep themselves occupied. Pay attention to how you're feeling when you eat and how hungry you are. Sometimes, coping with your feelings is more important than changing the type of foods you eat.
- MINDFULNESS of THOUGHTS
Be mindful of your thoughts in regards to your body weight or eating habits. Negative thoughts may trigger mindless eating. Pay careful attention to “should” and “should not” thoughts, critical thoughts (I'm so fat!), food rules and "good" and "bad" food categories. If you make a mistake, learn to forgive yourself and focus on the positive changes you are making in your eating habits and give yourself credit for making other changes that ensure better health.
Resources:
Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse
Resch
Eating Mindfully: How to End
Mindless Eating & Enjoy a Balanced Relationship with
Food By Susan Albers
wellness.umsystem.edu
Last Updated 05/05/2009
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