Weight Loss Secret: Mindful Eating
It’s not only what you eat, but how you eat it that makes all the difference. Mindful eating is a concept rooted from the Buddhist way of living. Being mindful of what you are putting in your mouth and taking in the sight, smell, flavors, and texture in a very present way connects you with the food you are eating. Chewing your food well (20-30 chews per forkful) and really savoring the experience in its entirety will increase satiety and allow you to eat much slower than the typical American pace of hurried meal times.
The power of mindful eating is the greater sense of satiety you will get out of your meals, feeling full on less food, digesting your food better, and assimilating the nutrients more efficiently into your body. Keys points to focus on when you first begin this way of eating:
- Create a calm environment for your meal.
- Turn off or silence all electronics including: cell phone, t.v., internet.
- Take a few deep breaths before beginning your meal.
- Look at your meal and fully take in the sight and aromas.
- Take a moment before you begin to feel gratitude for the meal in front of you.
- Enjoy the different flavors and textures, fully chewing eat bite.
- Put down your fork between each bite. Chew 20-30 times per mouthful of food.
- Take a moment to pause at the end of the meal with a few deep breaths before you move on to the rest of your day.
Try eating this way at least once a week. At first, this may seem strange or even frustrating, but in time you will notice how much better you feel. You will also notice a higher a level of satiety after meals.
Over time you will eat less at meals, leaving more on your plate and also begin to serve yourself less food because you have a greater sense of how much you truly need to be satisfied per meal.
How do you feel about this way of eating? Have you tried it before? Please share your thoughts here.
