If you’re a busy person, eating might be something you just squeeze in whenever it fits. Or you might find yourself at times eating for no reason at all. Mindless eating comes in many forms.
Do you ever find yourself in any of these situations?
- It’s another busy morning, getting ready for work or feeding the kids some breakfast and you mindlessly eat whatever’s available at the kitchen counter.
- You’ve got ten minutes between meetings and you have to scarf down your lunch at your desk.
- You’re working from home and finish a task. You start to wonder what you have to snack on. You find something sugary, salty, or crunchy, take it back to your desk, and eat it mindlessly while you resume work on your computer.
- It’s been a crazy day driving from one appointment to another and you forgot to bring something healthy to eat with you so you hit the drive through and eat in the car.
- You’re walking through kitchen and for no apparent reason decide to open up the fridge or pantry and see what’s available. You’re not really hungry but you see something that looks good so you grab it and eat.
- You’re cooking dinner and are so hungry, you snack the whole time you’re cooking. By the time dinner is ready you’ve already eaten so much you’re full. But the family is sitting down to eat so you make yourself a plate and eat more anyway.
- You’re clearing the table and your kids didn’t clean their plates. You don’t want the food to go to waste so without even thinking you finish what’s on their plates.
- You’re relaxing after dinner on the couch and a family member comes up next to you with a snack or dessert. You were done eating for the day, but seeing and hearing them eat is driving you crazy so you decide to indulge.
Mindful Eating
Now that we’ve considered several examples of mindless eating, let’s talk about mindful eating! Mindful eating involves complete awareness of your thoughts, actions, emotions and/or experiences in regards to eating. So, when practicing mindful eating, you’re actually:
- Aware of your motivation for eating
- Intentional about what you’re eating
- Creating a proper environment to eat
Considering your motivation for eating:
- Am I physically hungry?
- Am I bored, stressed, sad, or anxious?
- Is this a meaningful part of a social engagement or interaction?
- Is it just “time to eat”?
- Am I eating just because there is food in front of me?
Being intentional about what you are eating:
When you are truly mindful, you can make a better decision about whether or not to eat. When you were first considering eating, you may have already had a specific food in mind. However, now that you’ve taken a moment to understand why you want or need to eat and you’ve made the decision to eat, you might have changed your mind about what you’re going to eat.
Here you can think about what will truly nourish your body. Ask yourself:
- If you are choosing something that will make you feel good or will make you feel tired, bloated or worse.
- Is this a food that will help you get closer to your health goals or further from it?
- Will this choice possibly even make you feel guilty later?
One key to making this step easier is planning.
- Having healthy foods that are convenient will help you make better choices when time is limited.
- Packing snacks and/or lunch for work or on the go, will allow you to make a decision about what to eat when you are not hungry or pressed for time.
- Meal planning your dinners can prevent grabbing takeout on the way home or going out to eat. Contact me if you want to learn a quick and easy way to meal plan.
Creating a proper environment in which to eat:
- Without the proper environment, many of the important eating hygiene tips discussed above will not be in play.
- Try to avoid eating in the car.
- Eating with coworkers, friends or family members can help you make eating more of an experience vs. a rush job.
- Putting your food on a plate or in a bowl can really help with portion size
- If you are in the car all day, consider stopping somewhere and eating in the sun.
Experiencing the act of eating:
It’s time to appreciate the experience of eating. Here are some tips to get the most out of your meal.
- Breathe deeply and relax before eating. The culture that encourages you to go-go-go also promotes chronic mental/emotional stress. When we are in a “fight or flight” (sympathetic) nervous system mode, digestive secretions and peristalsis are reduced in order to support other body functions that promote surviva. A few calming breaths and a conscious effort to sit and relax the body prior to and after eating can help improve digestion.
- Slow Down, Sit Down, and Chew, Chew, Chew. The average American chews each bite of food only a few times before swallowing it down hard. Often with several gulps of water as a chaser. Try to chew your food until it’s mostly liquid. This significantly reduces the work of your stomach. One thing that helps with that is simply putting down your fork between bites and leaning back in your chair (a relaxed posture). Not having that next bite prepared and waiting to be eaten psychologically allows you to slow down and chew your food well.
- Drink most of your liquids between meals. Certainly it’s fine to have some water along with your meals, but too much liquid during meals can dilute your stomach acid and make it less potent, leading to belching and bloating. Food can hang around in your stomach longer than it should and ferment. This can lead to gas, heartburn and indigestion. Focus on steady hydration in between meals and have only a small glass handy during meals to help clear the palate.
- Eat only until you’re 80% full or less. Many people struggle with portion control. This is especially true when we eat at restaurants. Yes, the stomach will stretch. But only so far. Research shows better digestion for people who eat smaller meals. Note that this is not the same as “grazing."
- Don’t eat or drink anything for 3 hours before bedtime. Allowing ample time for digestion to occur before laying down can reduce symptoms such as heartburn and allows you to burn more fat during sleep. Allowing a full 12 hours between your last food at night and your first food in the morning works great for a lot of people, but of course everyone is different.