Think about what you had for lunch yesterday. Can you remember the smell or texture of the food? How about how you felt after eating it? For many of us it takes a few minutes to remember what we ate, let alone the sensory details.
We eat in front of the tv, in our cars, and while walking down the street. Fewer families are sitting down together regularly at the dinner table. Although we may tell ourselves that eating while multitasking is efficient, the truth is that making a habit of it can cause us to lose touch with our hunger and fullness cues. This is where mindful eating comes in. Mindful eating, at its core, is the process of using all of your senses to experience food. It involves slowing down, eating without distractions, and appreciating the origins of what’s on your plate. Mindful eating has its roots in Buddhist mindfulness teachings, but has since evolved (as mindfulness has) into a secular tool that can be used for health. It has been linked to a range of positive health outcomes such as healthy body weight, a reduction in disordered eating behaviors, and mood stabilization.
Core principles of mindful eating
Eat slowly: This may be the most important part of mindful eating. It takes about 20 minutes after we eat for fullness cues to completely reach the brain, which means that we often overeat when we eat too fast. Try putting your fork down between bites or chewing for longer than you normally would.
Pay attention to hunger cues: These days, we eat for so many reasons other than hunger. We eat when we’re happy, sad, and bored. We’re taught to clean our plates, and portions are usually much bigger than necessary. Before you eat, take a minute to stop and ask yourself if you’re truly hungry. If you aren’t sure, try doing something else relaxing like taking a walk or calling a friend.
Limit distractions: It’s hard to eat mindfully when you’ve got Game of Thrones on, you’re working on a report, or you’re driving (I’ve been guilty of all of these). As much as you can, try to make eating the main event. You’ll be able to enjoy your food more and may even find that you don’t need as much of it.
Use all of your senses to appreciate food: Before you take a bite, smell your food and notice what your body does in response (increased saliva production, stomach rumbling, etc.). Examine the texture of the food. When you put it in your mouth, don’t swallow right away; observe how the flavors evolve the longer you let it sit on your tongue. Chew slowly and thoroughly and watch how the sensations change. When you finish your meal, pause and see how your body feels now that you’ve eaten. Focusing on the sensory qualities of food can help you to slow down your pace of eating and deepen your enjoyment.
Acknowledge food preferences and desires without judgement: So many of us have complicated emotions surrounding food. We feel guilty when we eat certain things and proud when we deprive ourselves. Hating yourself is not conducive to good health. When you think about food, try examining your preferences and cravings with a neutral attitude. Rather than labeling foods as “good” or bad,” approach eating with mindfulness and self-compassion and see how your perspective shifts.
Obstacles to mindful eating
When I was a nutritionist for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) in Massachusetts, mindful eating was not initially something that we talked about. Besides the fact that there’s a lot to cover in a 15-30 minute appointment, if you try telling a single mom who is working two jobs to support her family that she needs to find a “quiet, distraction-free environment” in which to enjoy her meals she’ll probably look at you like you’ve lost your mind. It can be hard to eat mindfully when you’re busy or stressed. Mindful eating can also sound elitist when so many Americans have trouble buying the quantity and quality of food that they would really like to enjoy. However, there are small changes that most of us can make to get some of the benefits of mindful eating — making the first sips of your morning coffee mindful, for example. After about a year as a WIC nutritionist, I worked with the Massachusetts state WIC office to design a training for staff on how to incorporate mindful eating into counseling sessions. We focused on helping people respond appropriately to hunger cues (a hunger scale is a great tool for this), deal with emotional eating, and recognize environmental triggers to eat (such as the candy bars that line the checkout aisles of grocery stores). Although I no longer work in Massachusetts, the project is now being extended to multiple WIC clinics. This expansion reflects a larger trend; mindful eating is beginning to gain traction as a health and wellness tool in many different arenas. It is my hope that its principles can help people rethink eating habits and navigate food cultures that are harmful to their health.
Conclusions
As part of my dietetic internship, I recently led a few activity sessions for preschoolers about fruits and vegetables. When it came time to taste the food, we focused on sensory qualities. Is it sweet? Sour? Crunchy? Soft? What does it smell like? Small children often play with their food. They pick it up, smell it, lick it, and throw it. They eat when they’re hungry and know to stop when they’re full. Although we’d all like an excuse to play with our food, what I’m really trying to say here is that a sense of wonder and curiosity about what we put in our mouths is valuable. So go ahead, play with your food — explore it. I’d love to hear about your experiences with mindful eating in the comment box below!