Have you ever eaten a meal standing up, while watching TV or even while working? Chances are that you have and when you do this, overeating tends to happen. Now, you may not intend to overeat, but when you are not paying attention to what you are eating, it is easy to do.
Becoming mindful of your meal is an easy way to know when you are full and to stop overeating. It all starts in your head. The hypothalamus is the area of your brain that produces the hunger hormones as well as registering emotional feelings in the brain. When you eat, the brain receives calming messages and the body starts to sense that it is full and becomes more relaxed. There is a very powerful connection between mind and body.
Mindfulness is about being aware, being present and in the moment in a nonjudgemental way. You can do this during any type of exercise or experience, including eating. When you are mindfully eating, you increase your awareness to the eating experience and experience your food more intensely, therefore receiving the signal that your body is “full” in a more timely manner.
Some questions to ask yourself if you are eating mindfully: (Albers 2008)
Do I eat even when I’m full?
Do I continue to snack until I feel bloated and uncomfortable?
Do I mindlessly snack on foods I don’t like, just because they are available?
Do I “zone-out” when I eat?
Do I forget or not even notice how a food smells, tastes, or feels when I eat it?
Do I eat when I feel anxious?
Do I often multitask when I eat?
Do I stand up or watch TV when I eat?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, chances are you are not as present as possible when eating.
According to Albers (2008) there are three steps to eating mindfully.
Tune in to the physical characteristics of food. This involves being aware of all your senses. Notice how food tastes, how it feels on the tongue, how hot or cold it is, and how it smells. The mouth can be used as a magnifying glass to zoom in on the food and all its subtle and not-so-subtle characteristics.
Tune in to the repetitive habits and the process of eating. This step involves taking the time to notice how you are eating. Are you on “auto-pilot”, eating out of habit, eating at the same time every day, multitasking while eating or eating the same foods over and over?
Tune in to mindless eating triggers. This step involves being extremely aware of what prompts you to start and stop eating. Is eating triggered by a bad day at work, boredom, negative mind chatter (such as “I’m so lazy!”) or stress? Being aware of how the body and mind feel between meals, or when it is time to eat, means that triggers can be anticipated and better food choices made as a result.
Another thing to be aware of when you are eating is to slow down and take time to eat your meal. When you are chewing, chew each bite at least 20 times, set your fork down every now and again and take a breath. Slow your meal down. Things to think about while you are eating is where the food came from and how it was prepared in order for you to be able to enjoy it. Being a conscious eater of the types of food you are eating (raised humanely, respect for the humans who were involved in the production of the food) also goes along with mindful eating. Be aware of the people with whom you are eating. When you are enjoying a meal with people who are positive and relaxed, it creates a much more pleasant environment during your dining experience.