Mindful eating is a technique that helps you control your eating habits by developing an awareness of your experiences, physical cues, and feelings around food.

In essence, mindful eating is a way of helping you distinguish between physical and emotional hunger and has been shown to be a powerful tool that can aid weight loss and help you feel better about yourself and your relationship with food.

The questions below are the questions you should ask yourself when thinking about mindful eating

  • Do you eat slowly and without distractions?
  • Do you eat only when you feel hungry?
  • Do you eat only until you feel full?
  • Do you feel guilt and anxiety about food?
  • Are you eating to maintain overall health and well-being?
  • Do you notice the effects that food has on your emotions and disposition?

Mindful eating has been found to be effective in conditions such as:

  • Weight gain and weight regain after successful weight loss
  • Binge eating – eating a large amount of food in a short amount of time, mindlessly and without control
  • Emotional eating – act of eating in response to certain emotions
  • External eating – eating in response to environmental cues related to food, such as the appearance or smell of food
  • Chronic exposure to stress resulting in overeating and obesity

Today’s fast food economy brings with it a lot of food options – many of which are unhealthy and highly addictive. In addition, there are multiple distractions that divert attention from the actual act of eating (TVs, computers, smartphones, eating at the work desk, in the car…). This leads to a form of automatic eating that leads to poor eating habits and weight gain.

Most studies agree that mindful eating helps you lose weight by changing your eating behaviors and reducing stress. This technique gives you the skills you need to improve your self-control associated with your eating habits, including the emotional and physiological aspects.

You can start with simple things like:

  • Take time for your meal, sit at a table, and enjoy the experience
  • Eat slowly and chew thoroughly
  • Eliminate distractions by turning off the TV and putting down your phone
  • Focus on how the food makes you feel
  • Stop eating when you’re full, not when the plate is empty
  • Ask yourself why you’re eating, whether you’re truly hungry, and whether the food you chose is healthy
  • Pick one meal per day to focus on these points and once you’re comfortable, move on to the rest of your meals.

https://www.healthline.com/ nutrition/mindful-eating-guide#intro

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