Modern Women’s Guide to Mindful and Healthy Eating

Everyone’s raving about mindful eating these days, but do you really know what it is and what it encompasses? If your answer is ‘no’ and you want to learn more about it, all you need to do is to stay with us and keep on reading. Here is everything you need to know about mindful eating, as well as some useful modern women’s guidelines you should stick to, so give them a try and you’ll see why everyone loves it!

What is mindful eating?

As its name clearly states, mindful eating is based on a Buddhist concept of mindfulness – a form of meditation that helps you recognize your emotions and physical sensations and cope with them successfully. This way of eating is all about using mindfulness to reach a state of full attention when it comes to your cravings and physical cues when eating. Apart from enjoying the look and taste of food, this approach is also about pinpointing where feelings for hunger and satisfaction originate in the body. A lot of modern women have gladly embraced mindful eating over the last few years, which is a great thing because eating has become a mindless act that’s often done too quickly. This can be quite problematic because our brains take up to 20 minutes to realize that we’re completely full. When you eat too fast, the fullness signal won’t arrive until you’ve already eaten too much. Here are some useful tips on how to embrace mindful and healthy eating, so check them out:

First of all, start with your shopping list

Even though grocery shopping seems like a completely irrelevant thing that you probably do without much thinking, the fact is that mindful eating requires much more thought. The first thing you should do is to take the health value of every single item into consideration before you add it to your list. This means that you’ll be able to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy food choices and make the right decision. Besides that, you should also avoid impulse buying as much as possible, so try to stay away from the center aisles loaded with processed foods, as well as from the candy and chips at the check-out counter. Of course, we have to mention that modern women are all about saving time and money by simplifying their everyday activities such as grocery shopping, which is why online stores are on the rise today. For example, you can buy quality organic food online and get it delivered to your address, which will make the whole process of preparing healthy meals even simpler and much faster.

Eat slowly and take small bites

As already mentioned, it takes your brain about 20 minutes to realize that you’re full, which is exactly why you should do your best to eat slowly – even when you’re super hungry. So, instead of throwing food into your mouth as you’ve never eaten before, try to focus on the details such as the taste, texture, and aroma of your food. These will allow you to connect with your meal on a much deeper level, and you know what? Paying attention to the variety of flavors in one meal can be extremely fun – especially if you discover a specific set of flavors that take you down memory lane. Once you start engaging your senses, you’ll be more likely to notice the details and appreciate them in future meals. Taking smaller bites is another essential step, as it’s a lot easier to taste food in the best possible way when your mouth isn’t completely full. Of course, be sure to chew thoroughly as well (between 20 and 40 times for every bite, depending on the food). You’ll be surprised at all the amazing flavors that will be released!

Make sure to remove all distractions

Last but definitely not least, removing all distractions is another important step if you want to embrace mindful eating – especially these days when everyone’s hooked on their smartphones, tablets, and other similar gadgets. The sad truth is that distractions have shifted our attention away from the actual act of eating onto our TVs, phones, and computers, which is exactly why we tend to forget how much you have consumed. This may lead to a feeling of dissatisfaction and even overeating, so turn off your TV, leave your phone away from the table, and have your dinner in peace, focusing on the meal itself. Eating in silence will allow you to be more present and engaged with the food you’re eating, which is what should be your top priority.

Mindful eating is gaining more and more popularity nowadays for a good reason, so don’t be an exception and give it a try as soon as possible. Once you experience its fabulous benefits and advantages, you’ll never want to get back to your previous eating habits!