We all know how important it is to bring a little mindfulness to our daily lives, but this can be a lot easier said than done – especially when it comes to our eating habits. It seems like modern life is all about being glued to screens. How often do you eat while at your desk, or else scrolling through your phone? Do you snack absentmindedly while watching TV or running errands?
We all know the feeling of suddenly realizing that somehow we’ve gobbled down a huge amount of food and barely noticed – even without being particularly hungry. If you’re someone who has frequent mindless binges, often falls into “food comas” or finds themselves feeling bloated, guilty and uncomfortable, it could be time to bring some conscious awareness to your eating.
Sadly, many of us eat while 100% distracted. As with so many other activities, eating often fails to receive our full, undivided attention, with some people never taking the time to eat well. But mindfulness is a skill that can always be learnt.
The modern industrialized diet (in particular the Standard American Diet – appropriately called SAD) leaves a lot to be desired. Junk food is ubiquitous, everything seems to be crammed full of sugar, portion sizes are gargantuan, and it can feel difficult at times to get a hold of nutritious, healthy, fresh food.
In the United States today, the average daily caloric consumption per person is a whopping 3800 calories – almost 2000 calories above the amount recommended for a healthy BMI. The number is almost as bad in Canada, at around 3500 calories per person per day on average.
When you practice mindful eating, however, you give yourself the chance to pause and acknowledge sensations of satiety of fullness. By being mindful, you are able to simply be aware of experiences as they come and go, without resisting or clinging. You tune into your body’s signals that it’s had enough food.
Mindfulness can also improve your food choices. Its all too easy to mindlessly guzzle unhealthy snacks, sugary foods or alcohol when we’re stressed or tired, but if we are mindful, we stop for a moment and ask whether we could make a better choice, and go for something we know will feel better in the long run.
Mindfulness is a skill that can help you achieve sustainable lifestyle changes that last long after fad diets pass. We can take our sense of mindfulness and apply it to planning ahead so we set up healthier eating routines for ourselves – no more fast food after work because you’ve forgotten to stock up on groceries at home!
Bestselling author Michael Pollan claimed in his book Food Rules that to be healthy, we all need to “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.” It’s simple but potentially life altering advice that more people in the Western world would do well to follow.
Older than Pollan’s advice is the Japanese saying that states: hara hachi bun me, translated as “eat until you are 80% full.” This popular custom is most associated with the island of Okinawa, a region that boasts the greatest number of people living beyond the age of 100 years. It’s not hard to imagine that their eating philosophy has something to do with it!
If we’re honest, most of us eat along ingrained habits and cultural customs. We have bacon and eggs for breakfast, eat three times a day, have dessert after a meal, and so on. But being more mindful, we can stop long enough to tune into our own sense of what is needed and when. Making changes can be tough at first, but even little improvements can have a big impact over time.
Try to constantly bring awareness to the present moment. If you can pause and slow down a little, you can perceive the present moment with more clarity. You can become aware of food and your relationship to it. Watch your behavior – are you actually hungry or just bored? How hungry are you? What do you feel right now and how is that expressing itself on your body? What is your body actually needing in this moment?
Asking these questions can help you identify your food triggers, your genuine hunger, and your deeper reasons for eating as you do.
Bring awareness to the choices available to you. Some foods will have you craving more in less than 20 minutes, whereas others will have you feeling satisfied and happy for hours. Notice the foods you choose and the effect they have on you. Before you select something to eat, ask what you need and why. Something sweet or savory? A big or small meal?
Take your time and really savor what you eat. Stay in the moment and take your time to be present and enjoy each bite, and every sensation. You’ll derive so much more satisfaction from what you eat and are less likely to overeat.
Cut out distractions when you eat. That means no staring at phones, screens, laptops, or books. Focus solely on the meal in front of you. Devote some time to doing nothing but enjoying your meal – you may be surprised at what a fulfilling experience it is once you give it your full attention.
Take baby steps. You don’t need to become a mindfulness master all in one go. Start slowly. You could make small changes first, like routinely pausing to make a good choice at the office canteen every day, or taking a moment to notice exactly how you feel after you eat something unhealthy. With more practice, you can start being mindful at every meal.
Practice compassionate self-acceptance. There is no point in beating yourself up if you don’t quite get it “right.” It can be discouraging to try to be mindful but feel as though you fail. That’s OK! Keep a curious, open mind and be kind to yourself as you explore the process. You may be surprised by what you learn, if you can have some self-compassion along the way.
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