In a world of constant hurry and distractions, we often forget to pay attention to what and how we eat. Mindful eating emerges as a revolutionary approach that invites more attentive and present meals. Discover in this article how this practice can improve your health and increase your satisfaction with food.

Let's start with mindfulness

Mindfulness is the human innate ability to be fully present, and aware of where we are and what we're doing, without being overly reactive or overwhelmed by what's happening around us. Since we all possess this ability, it’s just a matter of learning to access it.

There are several types of mindfulness practice. Here are a few:

• Seated, walking, standing, and moving meditation (lying down is also an option, but it often leads to sleep);

• Small pauses we insert into our daily routines;

• Integrating meditation into other activities, such as yoga or sports.

And when you practice mindfulness, you:

• Minimize stress;

• Improve performance;

• Gain insight and awareness by observing your mind;

• Pay more attention to others' well-being.

Mindfulness is not just a technique; it's a way of life. It instills awareness and compassion in everything we do, reducing unnecessary stress. Even a small amount makes a difference in our lives.

So, what is mindful eating?

Mindful eating (i.e., paying conscious, judgment-free attention to our eating) is an approach that focuses on an individual's awareness of the food and their experience while eating. It’s about paying intentional, nonjudgmental attention to our food.

The idea is to encourage a person's full presence at mealtime, thoroughly enjoying the moment and the meal.

Mindfulness focuses on the process, not the outcome. The person eating is more concerned with enjoying the food than with limiting intake, deciding what and how much to eat. Not surprisingly, with a mindful approach, choices often include eating less, enjoying the act of eating more, and selecting foods that provide desired health benefits.

Here are some attitudes that reflect mindful eating:

• Non-judgment: A fundamental aspect of mindfulness is the awareness of our judgments. Therefore, the first challenge in mindful eating is setting aside your previous experience with food.

• Patience: Mindful eating requires patience and time to be fully present in the moment. After all, you are significantly slowing down your process for the entire experience, rather than just mechanically going through it.

• Beginner's mind: Approaching your experiences the same way a baby might, allows you to relive them and be open to whatever meaning they may have in the present moment. Taste once, look once, feel, smell, and listen.

• Acceptance: The willingness to notice and accept what happens is at the heart of the mindfulness process. It means recognizing pleasant experiences, like the incredible flavor of that dish you love, or more challenging ones, like your judgments about not liking another food when you try it. It's the distinction between presence and distraction: acceptance of whatever happens in the moment.

• Trust: We gain more self-confidence when we are fully aware of our own experience and embrace it as real for us. By recognizing and appreciating how we feel and our reactions to different foods, we become more tolerant of ourselves and, consequently, more confident.

• Non-striving: This directly contrasts with the "diet mentality" that drives people to exert effort to lose weight. Since no real outcomes are being monitored, you are free to be present and fully enjoy the experience. There is no need to make any effort for something to happen, as no specific outcome (like weight loss, for example) is expected.

• Letting go: Mindful eating is about letting go of old expectations, such as the frustration of being forced to eat raisins as a child when all you wanted was a piece of chocolate. Allowing ourselves to let go of any attachments lets us have new experiences in the present moment without judging our past experiences.

These attitudes are intertwined and are crucial in the practice of mindfulness, serving as the foundation for mindful eating.

Finally, when you think about eating something, take a moment to examine how you're feeling and what the intention behind it is. Ask yourself these questions:

• “Am I stressed, bored, angry, or sad? Am I alone? Or, am I actually physically hungry?”

Be aware of your reaction and then make a choice.

Additionally:

• If your craving is not hunger, do something else that aligns more with that desire.

• Eat only when you are hungry. Set aside all other distractions and focus on your food.

• Consider what was needed for

that meal to reach you. Who was involved in the growing and production process? How much light and soil were needed to grow the ingredients, and where did they come from? Appreciate everything that contributed to getting the food onto your plate.

And why it's worth trying?

Distractions have shifted attention from the process of eating to computers, smartphones, and televisions. Eating has become a thoughtless, often hurried activity. And this can be a problem, considering it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to understand that you are full.

If you eat too quickly, the satiety signal may not arrive until you have overeaten. This is a common occurrence in binge eating.

Mindful eating allows you to redirect your attention and slow down, making eating a deliberate act instead of a reflex.

Furthermore, by better identifying physical signs of hunger and satiety, you will be able to distinguish emotional hunger from physical hunger. You also become more aware of the triggers that make you want to eat even when you are not hungry.

Knowing your triggers helps create a distance between them and your reaction, providing time and freedom to decide how to respond.

But it's good to know that:

• Mindful eating should not replace standard therapies for serious medical issues, such as eating disorders. Neurochemical imbalances are a risk factor for eating disorders like bulimia and anorexia nervosa. And while mindfulness can be helpful in a treatment plan, it should not be adopted as a stand-alone treatment.

• Mindful eating is not a weight loss technique per se but rather a complement to a weight loss program. It involves making food choices that are beneficial to health and increasing the enjoyment of eating. On the other hand, conventional weight loss programs emphasize adherence to a diet plan, which may or may not be rewarding or pleasurable. Combining mindfulness with a dietary plan under the supervision of a certified nutritionist can reduce the risk of emotional or compulsive eating.

If you're interested, here are some steps to get started

• Start with your shopping list: Consider the health benefits of each item you put on your list and stick to it to avoid impulse purchases.

• Do not skip meals: When you skip meals, you're more likely to feel intense hunger. This can cause you to opt for the quickest and easiest food, prioritizing filling the void over enjoying your meal.

• Reduce portion sizes: This can help you avoid overeating and wasting food. Use a dinner plate with no more than 9-inch diameter and fill it only once.

• Appreciate your food: Before you eat, take a moment to reflect on the process that brought this food to your table. Give thanks for the meal and, if you are with others, for the company you share it with.

• Engage all your senses: Notice the aromas, flavors, sounds, colors, and textures of the food, as well as how you feel while eating. Occasionally, take a moment to engage these senses.

• Take small bites and chew thoroughly: When your mouth is not full, it’s easier to taste all the elements of the food. Chew until you can detect its essence (you may have to chew each mouthful 20 to 40 times). Between bites, put your utensil down.

• Eat slowly: If you eat slowly, you can recognize when you are full and satisfied.

These measures can help you integrate mindfulness into your eating routine, providing a richer, more conscious experience that benefits your physical and mental health.