Mindful eating is about using your awareness to reach a state of full attention to your experiences, cravings, and physical cues.
To master eating mindfully takes practice. Our Community of encouraging, like-minded people are here to help you navigate any challenges you might face. Eventually, you will develop new habits that can help you overcome your eating challenges.
Try the following tips to work towards mindful eating:
- Eat slowly. Slowing down your eating is one of the best ways to get your mind and body to communicate what you truly need. When you slow down, you can give your body a chance to catch up to your brain and hear the signals to eat the right amount.
- Listen to your body. Often, we first listen to our minds. However, like many mindfulness practices, we might discover more wisdom by tuning into our bodies first. Too often, we eat when our mind tells us to, rather than our bodies. Mindful eating is listening deeply to our body’s signals for hunger. Ask yourself: What are your body’s hunger signals, and what are your emotional hunger triggers?
- Cultivate a mindful kitchen. Another way that we eat mindlessly is by randomly searching through cabinets and eating at odd times and places, rather than thinking proactively about our meals. Having a mindful kitchen means organizing and caring for your kitchen and pantry space, so it encourages healthy eating and nourishing gatherings.
- Attend to your plate. Multitasking and eating are the recipe for not being able to listen deeply to our body’s needs and wants. With your next meal, try single tasking and just eating, with no screens or distractions. Instead, share a meal and have a good conversation with your eating companion.