Mindful eating is based on mindfulness, a form of meditation that helps you recognise and cope with your emotions and physical sensations. Mindful eating involves paying closer attention to your food and how it affects your body and mind.
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Research has shown that mindful eating can improve psychological well-being, increase pleasure, and increase body satisfaction. It can also help you reduce disordered eating behaviours, such as overeating, undereating, or binge eating, and support weight loss.
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One of the key aspects of mindful eating is to eat without distractions, such as TV, phone, or computer. This can help you deepen your awareness of your food and your hunger and fullness cues.
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Another way to practice mindful eating is to engage all your senses when eating. Notice the colours, smells, sounds, textures, and flavours of your food and how they make you feel. This can enhance your enjoyment and satisfaction of your food.
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Mindful eating also involves serving yourself in modest portions and avoiding overfilling your plate. This can help you avoid overeating and wasting food. You can always serve yourself more if you are still hungry after finishing your plate.
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Chewing slowly and thoroughly is another important aspect of mindful eating. It can help you savour your food, improve your digestion, and signal your brain that you are full. Try to chew each bite at least 20 times before swallowing.
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Pausing between bites is another way to practice mindful eating. It can help you check in with your hunger and fullness levels and decide if you want to continue eating or stop. You can also use this time to express gratitude for your food and the people who prepared it.
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Mindful eating also helps you distinguish between true hunger and non-hunger triggers for eating, such as boredom, stress, or emotions. If you are not hungry, try to find other ways to cope with these triggers, such as talking to a friend, meditating, or doing something fun.
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Finally, mindful eating requires being compassionate with yourself and avoiding judgement or criticism of your eating habits. Remember that mindful eating is a skill that takes time and practice to master. Be patient and kind with yourself as you learn to eat mindfully.
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Mindful eating means more than focusing on food; it's about relishing and finding joy in every bite. This practise lets you savour taste, texture, aroma, and the happiness it brings. Eating should be delightful and fulfilling, void of burdens or remorse.
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