Regardless of how you feel around the festive period, we all benefit from being more attentive and intuitive regarding our dietary choices. It's also a fantastic tool for helping us feel more at ease with what we do and don’t eat. Mindful eating aims to shift your body's stress response from flight or fight to rest and digestion (relaxed state).
Below are five potential reasons driving your desire to eat, with gentle mindful eating tips to help make the experience more intuitive.
Are you eating for joy? - Engage your senses!
Apart from being the most enjoyable aspect of eating, mealtime is essential for fostering a good relationship with food. Permit yourself to savour each bite.
Our tip to you? View eating as a chance to be inquisitive. During a meal, try activating each of your senses one at a time, one by one. What does your meal look like, smell, feel, sound, and, most importantly, taste like?
Are you eating with friends as part of a social gathering? - Distraction-less meals!
Sharing a meal with family and friends are special moments. Embrace it and enjoy these moments of connection while enjoying the food on your plates.
Our tip to you? Try eating your next meal without watching TV, checking Instagram, or scrolling. Be present with your meals and take advantage of the chance to connect with your body and those around you.
Are you eating because of emotion? - Pause & reflect
It's normal for us to turn to food for emotional matters. What’s important is that we are conscious of these patterns and grasp the thoughts that drive our behaviour.
Our tip to you? Use a hunger scale before and after your meal to determine how hungry or full you are. Is this meal motivated by hunger, habit, or emotion? Recognise your logic while remembering that it is merely one option in your mindful eating journey.
Are you eating for fuel? - Don’t judge
Food is, at its essence, the fuel we require to exist! We are most productive when we are fuelled and content, without the distractions of hunger or being overly full.
Our tip to you? Take time to savour the food on your plate when eating to nourish yourself. Use your senses during this meal, and think about everyone who helped you achieve it. Access to food is something to be grateful for.
Are you eating because you’re bored? - Set an intention
It's natural to go for food when we're bored or procrastinating, but that doesn't mean we have to eat mindlessly. If you find yourself doing this, recall your objectives for eating mindfully and try doing something else to keep yourself busy.
Our tip to you? What motivates you to eat mindfully? Make it clear what it means to you, and perhaps even write it down in a notebook. When you have clear intentions, it is simpler to make decisions that represent your objectives.