In the past, I would have definitely classified myself as a stress eater and certainly one that never ate mindfully. Mindfulness can be a struggle for many people (and it still can be for me). It often takes time and, yes, some dedication to master. It takes practice but it is possible to work your way up to eating mindfully every day, and when you don’t, it’s okay to give yourself some grace.

It’s important to be aware that you may not always have the time or energy to eat mindfully. This is part of building a successful mindful eating practice.

The key is trusting your instincts AND your body’s instincts. Before mindful eating becomes a natural part of your life, it can take weeks, months, and sometimes years. It’s important to be patient with yourself and enjoy the process of building a stronger mind-body connection with food.

7 Ways to Practice Mindful Eating

• Prepare and Take it All In: Cooking you own food is the best way to prepare your brain and your body to eat mindfully. Taking in the sights and smells of your food alerts your brain to prepare your body for nourishing foods. Eating out at a restaurant? Do the same; take in the sounds, smells, and sights as you wait for your food to arrive

• Put Away Electronics: Yes, just like you would tell a child; do the same. Remove all electronics from your eating space and those within eyesight.

• Sit Down: Take a breath, center yourself, take the time to give thanks or say a prayer. Give yourself permission to eat until you feel satisfied and truly enjoy the food in front of you. Think about those who had a hand in making your food (including you) or those who grew or transported your food.

• Be Still and Connect– Consider dedicating at least part of the meal to silently enjoying the food. This obviously is more probable when eating alone. When eating, connect to your mind and body. Take note of how the food tastes when you chew. Chew the food slowly and savor it.

• Use All of Your Senses-What does the food look like? Is it appealing, or unappealing? What do you hear? Is the food sizzling? What does the food smell like? Are there smells other than the food? How does the food feel in your hands or in your mouth? What’s the texture like? How does the food taste? Is it savory, or sweet? Taste everything, chew slowly and thoroughly. Try to identify ingredients and flavors. Doing these forces you to slow down. This can be very helpful for anyone looking to heal their relationship to food.

• Listen to Your Body: This is when you recognize you’ve had enough to eat or perhaps, you want more. Honor these internal cues as natural and know that this is very healthy. Some signs to look for when trying to determine if you’re full are the food becomes less appetizing, or it doesn’t taste as good as it did when you started the meal.

It’s important to note that those with disordered eating patterns may have disrupted internal regulations. Significant intake of sugar or processed foods can also be very disruptful to our body’s natural fullness cues. (another reason to skip the junk!!). If you find yourself eating ravenously, you may need to consider putting less food on your plate initially. Consider waiting 5 minutes before getting seconds to determine if you are truly still hungry.

• Reject the “Dieting” Mindset– It’s VERY important not to restrict or significantly limit calories. This not only slows down your metabolism, but it very rarely is sustainable and can lead to overeating later in the day. There is no need to punish your body for craving foods that you, or others, may deem as “bad” or “unhealthy.” Aim to shift your focus away from actions you think will change the way your body looks. Instead, try focusing on actions that will improve the way your body feels.

I encourage you to try implementing some of these strategies. Consider trying one of my tips this week. Perhaps next week, you could try a second. If you need additional help learning how to make these and other healthy eating patterns a permanent part of your life, let’s talk. Head to my website @https://balancehealthandnutrition.com/work-with-julie/ to sign up for a FREE 30-minute consultation. Hope to see you there!