How Mindful Eating can be Healthy Eating

Sep 9, 2016

3 min read

There is so much emphasis put on the importance of choosing the right foods to eat - which can be confusing enough because the "right" foods can vary from person to person! But, there is a certain way to eat that we can ALL benefit from. I'm talkin' about Mindful Eating...which I know may sound a bit hippy dippy; but, check it out because we're gonna be looking at mindful eating from a physiological stand point. (For the record, I love hippies and secretly wish that I could be one.)

So, does the way we eat our food make a difference, particularly to our digestive processes? Well, in today's culture we're all about convenience, right? We eat on the run, at our desk, or in front of the television. In other words, pretty mindless, eh?

Here are 3 ways to practice mindful eating, and WHY they are good for you:

1. Practice Gratitude

Digestion initially begins in the mouth, called the cephalic phase. So when we take a few moments before that first bite to pause, reflect, pray, or practice gratitude, it actually helps get the digestive juices flowing! Our saliva contains enzymes that aid in digestion, with amylase being a primary one that begins to digest our carbohydrates.

When I think back to any big family dinner, my pops always had us wait until he said grace first before we dug in. Right as I'd lift the fork he'd say, "Let's say grace." I'd sheepishly put my fork down, bow my head as he said grace and wait while my mouth watered in anticipation for that first bite. Not only was my father teaching me gratitude, but he was paving the way for proper digestion for everyone around the table!

2. Chew Your Food

Now that we've got our mouth watering from that moment of gratitude, we take that first bite and start to chew. As we chew our food, those digestive enzymes in our saliva begin to break down the food to prepare for nutrient absorption. The longer we chew our food, the more we coat the food particles with our saliva. It’s important to chew your food thoroughly to achieve maximum absorption of all your vitamins and minerals. Chewing breaks down food making it easier on the stomach and small intestine. It can help with gas, too!

Remember to chew each mouthful for at least 30 times, until liquified. Slowing your breathing down and putting your fork down between bites can also help. And even if you forget halfway through your meal, so what - start anyway! I can forget sometimes, especially when I'm super hungry. Just keep it up and it'll start becoming habit. And, the longer that you chew and linger over your meal the more you will begin to enjoy the textures and flavors of your food!

3. Create Awareness

Cravings can be beastly, and they come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes we think we're hungry, but really our body is telling us that we're thirsty, or something else that's entirely unrelated to hunger. One way to deconstruct where those cravings are coming from is by practicing mindful eating. For example, if you feel hungry and just ate an hour ago, taking a few moments to pause might prompt you to have that glass of water first instead of eating again. Sometimes that alone can do the trick.

Or, do you want that bag of potato chips because you're bored, or like to snack while watching Netflix? Or, did you have a crappy day at work and now you're looking for that pint of ice cream in the freezer to get your mind off of the stress? Have that awareness and internal dialogue with yourself before succumbing to the cravings. There are a lot more ways to battle cravings, but mindfulness is a big first step.

A natural benefit of practicing mindful eating is that you'll begin to learn how to have an awareness in your own body. We don't have to be driven by our impulses. You are not a slave to your cravings. These 3 simple steps are accessible, good for our health, and won't cost you a dime.

Working with a health coach can help give you the tools and support you need to dive deeper in deconstructing your cravings. If you want some free advice on battling sugar cravings, go to my website, sign up for my mailing list, and I'll send you a FREE Sugar-Cravings Cheat Sheet.

If you'd like to read more good stuff like this, sign up for my mailing list by visiting crissyluna.com.

Thanks for reading my inaugural blog post!

xo,

Crissy