Picture this… a plate of food, a laptop, and a deadline. You are mindlessly snacking as you try to answer emails, review work documents, write your latest blog post…you get the picture. After a few minutes you look down. The plate of food is empty, and you have no recollection of what you just consumed, nor did you get any satisfaction from eating it. What’s worse? You may still be hungry and continue to eat more.
Eating on the go, eating while we are rushed, eating mindlessly while working on our computers or devices, snacking in front of the TV. Sound familiar? It can happen to any one of us, even a dietitian.
Two strategies that can help you stay on track with your nutrition goals are Mindful Eating and Intuitive Eating.
Mindful Eating (which is adopted from the principle of Mindfulness) is all about being present and avoiding distractions at meals, such as eating while on your laptop or cell phone. It is about SLOWING DOWN, taking the time to eat, and using all of your senses to get the most out of your experience. An example might be taking the time to prepare your food by hand. Once on your plate, taking the time to notice the color, smell the aroma, or even hold the food on your tongue for a few minutes to detect the flavors; all before eating it. Mindful eating can allow us to savor our meals and to view food as nourishment and fuel. Being mindful at meals can make food much more satisfying, and studies show that mindful eating can be a powerful tool for maintaining a healthy weight. Check out this guide to learn more about Mindfulness and Mindful eating.
Intuitive Eating is a positive approach to eating. It involves 10 key principles, which you can learn by clicking here.
Two principles that can help avoid stress eating are the ability to recognize and respect your fullness, and to honor your feelings without using food. Respecting your fullness means eating until you are satisfied, not stuffed. As children, we were born with an innate sense of our hunger cues. We ate when we were hungry and we stopped when we were full. As adults, we can easily lose site of these cues and instead eat when we are stressed, anxious, bored, or lonely. Intuitive eating helps you to recognize these emotions and to realize that food won’t fix any of them. Eating intuitively can reacquaint you with your inner hunger cues, and teach you how to respect and honor your food choices because those choices are unique to you. Simply put, it embraces the notion that you are the expert of your own body, and you have the wisdom to build a positive and healthy relationship with food.
Both Mindful Eating and Intuitive Eating can help you avoid the pitfalls of stress eating. Taking time each day to slow down, respect your hunger, and respect your fullness can go a long way toward helping you reach your healthy eating goals.