5 Powerful Techniques for Mindful Eating to Build a Healthy Relationship with Food

Introduction: The Impact of Being Present With Your Food

5 Impactful Strategies for Mindful Eating to Cultivate a Healthy Relationship with Food.
Many individuals today are on autopilot while they eat. Whether they are scrolling through their phones or working through lunch, they are disconnected from their brain to their mouth. This autopilot approach to eating can create an awareness gap with your food, leading to a cycle of overeating, poor digestion, and a strained relationship with food.

Consider the alternative, mindful eating.

Mindful eating is the ability to be present, aware, and attached to how your body feels about the amount of food you eat, and conscious of the tastes, textures, and emotions you experience when you eat. In a 2016 study published in Appetite, the authors reported that mindful eating decreased binge episodes and improved emotional regulation to food in non-clinical samples (Mason et al., 2016)¹.

In this article, you will learn about five impactful strategies to start your process of mindful eating – strategies that can help you to not only eat better but also live better.

Citations & Research:

Mason, A. E., et al. (2016). “A pilot randomized trial of a mindfulness-based intervention for binge eating disorder.” Appetite, 100, 1-9.
DOI:10.1016/j.appet.2016.02.030

1: Slow Down: The first step in aware, mindful eating is a slower pace of eating.

Eating fast is a common habit for many of us – sometimes we don’t even really taste our food! Slowing down is the most important step in raising our awareness about our food consumption. Allowing ourselves to chew slowly and place utensils down between bites helps our body register fullness and can reduce overconsumption.

Why Slowing Down is Effective:

• Slowing down aids digestion because it allows time for the enzymes and saliva to properly digest the food. 
• You can take in your food more with your senses of taste, smell, and texture, which make it much more satisfying. 
• You learn to reconnect with your hunger and fullness cues from your body. 

Helpful Tips to Slow Down:

• Set a timer that you can focus on properly for that duration of time. Aim for at least 20 minutes.
• Pay attention to chewing. We recommend chewing every bite 20-30 times, then swallowing.
• Use your other hand to eat with or wear chopsticks to slow you down.

Even just this one habit tends to lead you to be more intentional with food choices and causes emotional eating triggers to be less obvious. 

2: Eliminate Distractions To Eat with Intention

When we eat distracted by a TV, scrolling social media, or eating while doing other tasks, we disconnect from our food because we’re not using perception to be fully present with our meal. Mindful eating engages all five senses, and your mind must be present during your meal.

How to Practice:

• Have a “no screens” rule when eating meals.
• Eat at a table, not a desk, and not on the couch.
• Take three deep breaths at the start of a meal to help center yourself.

Why It Is Important:

Not only does being distraction-free and present help you to enjoy your meal and food more, but it also helps you with digestion. When your nervous system is in a relaxed state, you are in a “rest-and-digest” state, which is important when breaking down food to digest nutrients properly.

Give it a try for a week: just eat one meal a day where you have zero distractions. You should feel more satisfied and eat less.

3: Learn to Respond to Your Hunger & Fullness

We eat not only due to hunger: we use food to react to boredom, stress, and social cues, for example. Listening to your body—especially its signals for hunger and fullness— is a crucial part of mindful eating practice before, during, and after a meal.

Try the Hunger-Fullness Scale
On the following 1-10 scale, ask yourself your hunger level:

• 1 = Starving
• 5 = Comfortable hunger
• 10 = Stuffed

Helpful Mindful Questions to Ask Yourself:

• Am I hungry, or am I in an emotional trigger?
• What does hunger feel like in my body?
• Have I eaten enough to feel satisfied, not stuffed?

Some Actionable Tips:

Keep a hunger journal. Before you eat, write down your hunger level along with your emotional state. A hunger journal can be an effective tool when you’re trying to disentangle cycles of emotional or stress eating.
This practice will support conscious eating, which, in itself, is a very strong tool for the physical and emotional front.

4: Use All 5 Senses to Create Additional Enjoyment

Mindful eating is not simply about slowing down. Eating is a sensory experience. Food is nourishment, and additionally,y it is an experience that encompasses flavor, color, aroma, and texture.

How to Practice:

• Notice the colors and shapes of your food.
• Take a deep breath to catch the smell.
• Become aware of textures, crunchy/smooth/warm/cool.
• Savor each bite and chew slowly.

Bonus Tips:

Use smaller plates and arrange your food – you’ll be more likely to slow down and really appreciate your meal! A little trick that can change your eating habits.

By using your senses, you’ll cultivate more gratitude for the food you’re eating since it will feel like each bite is a gift instead of fuel.

5: Practice Gratitude and Reflect After You Eat

Mindful eating isn’t just about the last bite of your meal. Allow some time for reflection in your mindful eating practice to help solidify the habits you just started to establish and grow a healthier emotional relationship with food.

Some Reflection Options:

• Sit for two minutes after your meal and notice how you are feeling in your body.
• Express, or think of 1-2 things you are grateful for regarding the meal.
• Write in a journal about how the meal made you feel, both physically and emotionally.

More gratitude directs you from feelings of regret or guilt to appreciation and satisfaction. Time will take care of the damage of disordered eating, and start the healing process toward sustainable and joyful eating!

And for a bit more food-related wellness, see our related post:
High Protein Anti-inflammatory Diet: 3 Eat and 3 Avoid

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Is mindful eating beneficial for weight loss?
Mindful eating can benefit many individuals by reducing overeating and emotional eating, as well as improving digestion and satisfaction, leading to weight loss naturally.

Q2: Can I eat my favorite food when eating mindfully?
Yes. Mindful Eating is about all foods in moderation- it is about how you eat, not what you eat.

Q3: How long does it take to develop mindful eating skills?
Every individual is different, but many people will see improvement in their awareness of when they are overeating and increased satisfaction with their food within 1-2 weeks of practicing mindful eating consistently.

Conclusion: Mindful Eating Is a Journey, Not a Diet

Mindful eating is NOT about rigid rules, counting calories, or feeling deprived. It’s learning to reconnect with your body, food, and feelings. By implementing these five mindful eating techniques, you will create a balanced, peaceful, and empowering relationship with what’s on your plate.

Mindful eating is a sustainable, life-enhancing way to reach personal goals, whether they are related to food, weight loss, emotional balance, or simply feeling better after every meal.

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