Our eating habits and mental well-being go hand in hand. We pick our food based on how we feel and think at the moment, and what we eat will influence how we’ll feel about ourselves afterward. If you’re looking to break unhealthy eating habits or change your mindset toward food, there are two approaches that can help. These are mindful eating and intuitive eating.
Let’s take a look at how both methods work and how they differ from each other.
What is Mindful Eating?
Mindfulness is essentially a mental state wherein you’re fully aware of and focused on what you’re doing. This way, you can acknowledge and control how you feel about it. In the context of food and nutrition, mindfulness is about being deliberate about your food choices and experience with food.
But don’t mistake mindful eating for counting calories or portioning your food. It’s about observing, moment by moment, how food makes you feel without judgment. While mindful eating can benefit anyone, it can be helpful for people who have a complicated relationship with food. If you’re suffering from eating disorders and negative eating habits, mindful eating can help you break free from your anxieties about food. This way, you can begin to enjoy healthier and more flexible habits.
How Can Mindful Eating Help You?
In a world full of instant gratification, there’s plenty of food to choose from. Distracted eating has become the norm, with people watching TV or using gadgets instead of enjoying their food. These scenarios can lead to mindless and rapid eating.
Your brain processes fullness for up to 20 minutes, making quick eating an issue. If you eat too fast, your brain won’t tell you that you’re already full. Mindful eating can help you slow things down and avoid binge eating in the following ways:
- Mindful eating lets you concentrate and eat your food slowly and make it an intentional task.
- You’ll also know whether your craving is due to actual hunger or an emotional response.
- Mindful eating helps you recognize the root of your cravings, allowing you to come up with the best response to your triggers.
How Do You Practice Mindful Eating?
Ready to give mindful eating a try? Let’s look at how you can practice this way of eating.
Create a Healthy Eating Environment
While mindfulness is mostly an inward and intimate process, your environment can influence outcomes. To make mindful eating part of your lifestyle, it’s important to create a health-focused kitchen and pantry. You should also cut the habit of eating on the sofa or your bedroom where there can be plenty of distractions.
Use Your Senses
Engaging all five senses can help you stay in the moment and eat mindfully. You can train yourself to do so as you buy, cook, serve, and savor your food. Try thinking about the look, smell, texture, sound, and taste of the food you’re preparing to practice mindful eating.
Pay Attention to Your Meal
Focus on what you eat and how you’re eating using the following tips:
- Start with your sitting posture. Maintain a proper yet relaxed position during meals.
- Ignore your surroundings as they can shift your focus from your meal.
See if you Need to Eat
Whenever you want to eat, think about whether or not you’re hungry. Keep the following questions in mind as you eat any meal:
- Are you eating because you’re hungry?
- Do you feel bored or need to divert your attention?
- Do you think that eating this meal now is important?
Savor your Meals
Before taking your first bite, show some appreciation for your meal and your fellow diners. See how the food feels, looks, and smells. Remember your reaction to these factors to further appreciate your meals.
Focus on how the Food Tastes
As you eat your meal, pay attention to the food’s texture and think about how you’d describe it. See if you can identify its ingredients and taste. Take slower and smaller bites and focus on your chewing.
See how your Eating Experience Changes
With mindful eating, it’s easier to feel if you’re already full or not. Pay attention to your body’s fullness signals as you eat, and enjoy your meal by eating slowly and actively.
Put your Utensils Down Between Bites
See whether your stomach wants more food or feels satisfied before you get your utensils. If you think that you’re full, let go of the cutlery.
Express your Gratitude
Appreciating your food is also vital for mindful eating. Take time to enjoy its ingredients, origin, and the effort put behind the dish. With this attitude, you can make more informed and sustainable food choices.
Get Used to Mindful Eating Practices
When dining out, take slow bites during conversations. Focus on whether your body feels full as you do so. Keep this mindset even if you’re having a meal for one.
What is Intuitive Eating?
Intuitive eating helps you build a healthy perspective on food and body image. By adopting this way of eating, you can do away with your perception of food and enjoy meals that are right for you.
Eating intuitively can promote the following ideas:
- Eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re full.
- Consume the best food for your health instead of having a weight goal.
On top of that, this eating style comes with the following principles:
- Reject dieting.
- Honor your hunger.
- Resolve any conflict with food.
- Challenge the food police.
- Respect your fullness.
- Find satisfaction in your meal.
- Honor your feelings without using food.
- Respect your body.
- Exercise — feel the difference.
- Keep track of your health.
What are the Benefits of Eating Intuitively?
A growing body of research has explored the benefits of intuitive eating among women. Some studies have noted the following results from eating intuitively:
- Healthier attitudes
- Lower body mass index
- Consistent body composition
Intuitive eating can also help you improve your psychological well-being. Research by Julie T.Schaefer and Amy B.Magnusonon regarding internal cues and eating saw participants having better self-esteem, body image, and quality of life. Additionally, those intuitive diners had fewer instances of depression and anxiety. The same research on intuitive eating interventions found that participants prefer to eat intuitively than other forms of diet, making them less likely to develop eating disorders.
How Do You Start Intuitive Eating?
If you’re serious about eating intuitively, here are some tips to help you adopt this approach.
See Food in a New Light
Food can hold plenty of power over you if you see it as black and white. Let go of that notion and the concept of “cheating,” and eat the right meals for your health instead. Always remember that food isn’t inherently healthy or unhealthy.
Have Consistent Meals
Make sure you’re eating a protein, fiber, and fat-rich meal every three to four hours. If you’re having breakfast, complement your meal with eggs, peanut butter, or cheese to keep you full and energized.
Stay Hydrated
Experts are divided on how much water a person should drink in a day. Most stand by the conventional rule of having eight 8-ounce glasses of water every day. Meanwhile, others recommend sticking to a constant water intake. The amount of water you need will depend on a variety of factors. Keep yourself hydrated by going for any of these drinks:
- Regular water
- Sparkling water
- Other unsweetened beverages
You can snack on fruits and vegetables for extra hydration as well.
Get Enough Sleep
Your energy and hunger levels can benefit from seven to eight hours of sleep. Also start cutting back on caffeine. Three to four cups of coffee is the daily recommended intake for caffeine, as anything over that can cause health problems.
Don’t Restrict Yourself
Making peace with food can work better for you and your health. Think about your mood when you’re about to eat so you can choose the best meal option for you.
Embrace a Healthier Mindset Toward Food
Mindful and intuitive eating can help you shift your perspective on food. Both methods offer various benefits and give you a more intentional approach to dealing with your state of mind towards dieting and nutrition.
By partnering with LifeClinic, you can get the right guidance on nutrition and other aspects of your health. Take the first step toward a healthier you at any of our locations today.
