Make friends with Food!

Blog : Erica Jackson on Mindful eating

           June 2024

You've probably heard of mindfulness, right? Ever wondered what it really meant or how it could possibly relate to you and your daily life? Was it something that is right for you? Or was it for really just for those people who spend their time on retreats and down the yoga gym… eating lentils and humming Om...?

Well, what I say may surprise you... For example, there is something called Mindful eating. Mindful eating is something that people rarely do but could benefit you and your health and well-being in some fantastic and surprising ways! Hungry to know more?...!!

Read on for some top tips....It can be easy to rush through life without stopping to notice much. ………….                          

And… What is it anyway?

Mindfulness is simply when you pay more attention to the present moment – to your own thoughts and feelings, and to the world around you – and doing this can improve your mental wellbeing.

Some people call this awareness "mindfulness". Mindfulness can help us enjoy life more and understand ourselves better. You can take steps to develop it in your own life. How often have you sat in front of the telly with a large bag of Doritos and glass of wine or beer and scoffed the lot without even savouring a mouthful - and then because you've eaten so fast and without thinking or noticing, you end up uncomfortably full and possibly feeling a little guilty? Well I know I have!

But here are some tips to help with improving your psychological relationship to eating, and with food, finding more joy and pleasure, whilst nurturing your body.

1.        Firstly, stop and use all your senses when enjoying food. Create food that looks and smells delicious and appetising; enjoy the colours and the textures and the way it's displayed on the plate. Be curious and marvel at it, look at it as if you are looking at it for the very first time. Stop and smell the different aromas of each food before you even put it in your mouth..

2.        Then when you are eating, chew slowly, enjoy the different feel of the textures and tastes in your mouth; chewing more patiently and swallowing later, allows the satiation centre in your brain to match the amount of food taken into your stomach and will let you know when you are full. When we eat quickly and without thinking, we tend to eat more than we need and can then also end up uncomfortably full to bursting.

3.        Enjoying food and thinking more carefully about what we are eating, helps us to make sure we give our body what it needs to nurture us in a healthy way. Being aware of our thoughts about food, and our emotions, what we tell ourselves about it, can give an insight into our relationship with food; do we eat when we are miserable ie comfort eating, do we eat to give ourselves a treat when we have been through a hard time or done some exercise, or do we deny ourselves good food sometimes when we feel guilty about something.? Do we sometimes respond quickly to urges to snack on fast food takeaways and then later regret our actions?

4.        Eating for example at a table with company and without technology or the TV or other distractions means we can enjoy chatting and connecting with others, and can focus more on the food and the whole cultural experience of it.

For more information and support with healthy and mindful eating or other emotional well-being issue, make an appointment with erica jackson psychological and emotional well being services today - see details below…. Or simply like and share my post and comment if you like below…

Go to www.ericajacksonpsychologicalservices.com