Its December, its end of the year and the festive season is almost close by. The celebrations for year ending are nearing and leading to a little indulgence for all of us. Often the most of the foods we eat this year are rich and heavy, hence the trick is to be mindful as a way of giving attention to the experiences in the present moment.
What is Mindful Eating?
Mindful eating is about paying attention to whatever is happening, moment to moment. It is deliberately paying attention to what you are eating or drinking without criticism or judgement. Just as we would pay attention to any other aspect of your experience in mindful practice. Mindful Eating invites us to cultivate non-judgemental awareness of the process of eating. Some of the things we might become aware of while eating include
• The aroma, colours and shape of food
• The flavours, temperature and texture of each bite
• The speed at which we consume
• Any thoughts or emotions we are experiencing while we are eating
• Any sensations occurring within the body as we eat
Why eat mindfully during the holiday season?
At any time of the year, the benefits of Mindful eating are widespread. During the holidays (or any other occasion when we might overconsume or consume mindlessly), mindful eating is all the more important.
Some of the benefits of Mindful Eating include:
• Reduction in Impulsive eating
• Reduction in calorie consumption
• Increased consumption of healthy snacks
• Increased awareness of hunger and satiety cues
• Improvements in digestive functioning
Mindful eating can also increase our sense of pleasure and satisfaction. When we eat mindlessly, it is usually because we are distracted. We might be watching TV, worrying about the day behind us, or scrolling through our phone. Before we know it, we have finished eating a meal that we are barely present for. On the contrary, mindful eating invites the fullness of our attention to the experience of eating it encourages us to take note of the process from start to the finish.
Here, are few Mindful Eating tips for the Festive Season:
1. Give yourself permission to eat all foods
This is about choice. When you forbid or restrict foods you often want them more. You feel deprived of them and when you do eat them you feel guilty. Permission does not mean you have to eat everything that is offered or all of it, it gives the choice and the power back to you. Start with small serve or portion of your choice of food and you will feel empowered.
2. Be present when you eat
Take away any form of distractions while eating, sit down, eat dinner turn off the TV, put down the book, turn off the phone, and savour food – actually tasting it. Experience the texture, eat slowly thoughtfully and enjoy.
3. Respect your body’s hunger and sign that its full
For some this will be a new skill as most of us eat by the clock. How often do you tune into what it feels like to be hungry or full? Often, we let our mind dictate our eating habits rather than listening to our bodies. So, it can be helpful to consider- what does it feel like to be hungry? What sensations tell me when I have had enough food? When it comes to feeling of fullness, eating, eating slowly can support our ability to notice these cues.
4. Have a Food List
By preparing in advance what we need, this will help stop any impulse purchases at the shop. Being aware of the food choices we are making and what we are bringing home is an excellent start to the process.
5. Avoid extreme hunger
Its good to be hungry when sitting down to eat a meal, but not so much so that we are compelled to make the wrong choices as we’re in a massive hurry and feeling famished. Being ravenously hungry and going past the point of when we should have eaten may make us panic and reach for foods that we wouldn’t normally go purely out of convenience.
6. Make a conscious decision to eat
By planning our meals in advance this allows us to know when we are eating and what will we be eating. This helps us avoid the pitfall of ravenous hunger but also helps us avoid absent minded picking as we don’t know what to eat.
Particularly at this time of year, you might like to indulge in festive treats by making a conscious decision to do so, this will allow you to determine how much and what you have to eat.
7. Keep moving
And another important throughout all the festivals of food is to try keep up with exercise. While it won’t be as easy – try to visit the gym or take up swimming or go for a walk with the family or play any sport.
8. As obvious as it sounds …drink water
During the festive season we tend to drink a lot of sugar sweetened drinks which can add a lot of energy into diet. Keeping hydrated throughout the day is important it can help in maintaining the health of your gut.
With these above considerations to be kept in mind, eating healthy and mindfully sets you up well for the new coming year.
