Having recently written about the ways that stress, eating, and weight-regulation influence one another, I thought I would address a specific strategy for coping with the problems that those interactions can create. More than that, this is actually something you will enjoy.
You are probably familiar with the term mindfulness, most likely in connection with mindful meditation techniques. These are currently very popular in clinical practice and research and among the lay public.
Mindfulness and Mindlessness
The concept and techniques of mindful eating may be less familiar. Whereas mindfulness meditation involves setting aside time for an activity, meditation, that is not generally part of our daily routine unless we make it so, mindful eating involves an essential, everyday activity.
So it is not a matter of adding something to what we normally do, it involves transforming the way we do something we must do and should enjoy doing. It may also have health benefits.
The premise is that much of the time, eating is mindless. The mindful-mindless distinction is complex. But, put simply, mindfulness involves being present in the moment and aware of our surroundings, what we see and hear, what we are doing, what we are thinking and feeling, and what is going on in our body.
All from the perspective of a non-judgmental observer. That is a vast oversimplification but should do for now to draw the contrast with mindlessness. To learn mindfulness meditation requires an investment of time and effort.
By contrast, it is easy to switch from mindless eating to mindful eating. Terms that capture aspects of mindlessness include automatic and habitual. This describes how we often eat. Selecting something to eat, whether at a restaurant, through a delivery service, or deciding what to prepare or heat up ourselves, often involves little thought.
Preparation may be rote or entirely absent. And, both preparation and eating may be just one activity among several we perform simultaneously as we scroll through our phone, watch the news or a TV program, and/or think about work.
Why Eat Mindfully?
In addition to greater enjoyment, possible benefits of eating more mindfully are improved weight management, reduced binge eating and emotional eating, better digestion, and more effective management of glucose metabolism.
An Illustration and Breakdown of Key Elements of Mindful Eating
Rather than reading more about what mindful eating is like, at this point, check out a 5-minute video demonstration:
To add a little more, Lilian Cheung, in her book, “Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life,” provides this outline:
