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12 Expert Strategies for Practicing Mindful and Conscious Eating.
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Mr. M grab his breakfast on the way to work, finish his lunch at his office desk and think he ate something for dinner before hitting the gym, but he is not sure exactly what. All of these are Mr. M’s examples of mindless eating.
DON’T BE LIKE MR. M.
Just like him, mindless eating has become a part of many of our lives; credit goes to distractions like television, phones, excess of unhealthy food options, and in daily push we feel to multi-task.
The solution is not in what you eat; instead, it is how you eat. Being mindful of eating is more important than what you eat.Practicing mindful eating, a food practice that keeps winning fans because it helps eat consciously and makes eating experience more enjoyable. Here is what you need to know. Here are 12 Strategies for mindful eating by Dr. Carolyn Dunn, a dietician, and weight loss expert:
Make eating an exclusive event: Give eating the attention it needs to enjoy your food and be mindful of every chewed bite. Eating without distraction can help you better know and realize when you are full.
Keep a check on your stress levels: During times of stress, one may find turning to food to calm down even when not hungry. Try to deal with stress in other ways than merely eating, to avoid unnecessary eating. Turn to alternatives such as a few deeps breaths or a short walk.
Appreciate the food you eat: Enjoy and be grateful for the food you eat. Acknowledge the magic of mother nature and the efforts needed to grow and prepare it. Enjoy your meal with gratitude.
Eat slowly: Slow chewing helps one recognize the hunger and satiety cues. Try to put the fork down between bites, chew your food well, and make each meal last at least 20 minutes.
Be mindful of the taste, texture, and smell of food: Savor your food. Recognize the flavour, shape, and surface of each bite you put into your mouth.
Be mindful of portion size to enjoy the quality of food, not quantity: When more food is present on the plate, we desire to eat more. Be aware of your portion sizes. https://livelighter.com.au/Top-Tips/Watch-Your-Portion-Size
Be mindful of your hunger: External cues such as seeing or smelling food may be signalling you to eat, but do keep a check on your appetite.
Eat before you get too hungry: When too hungry, one tends to make impulsive selections instead of mindful choices.
Be mindful of protein intake: Choose plant-based proteins more often, such as beans and legumes.
Be mindful of your calorie intake: Everyone has several ways for daily calorie intake. To maintain a healthy weight, one should be aware of the calories consumed. One way to keep calories in control is to track what you eat and drink. One can start by monitoring for at least a few days that can help increase mindfulness of what and how much enters the body.
Take food with good-quality calories: Make sure to have calorie-worthy food. In case you want something with high calories but with satisfying taste, then have just a few bites of it.
Take One Bite: Follow one-bite rule in case of special foods or desserts. One bite rule will help you not feel deprived of missing out on favourite food and will not feel guilty for overeating.