I made myself a sandwich today and thought I'd be efficient and do some work over lunch. I was brainstorming some ideas for my next article. Deep in though, the ideas came easy to me. By the middle of page two, I looked down and noticed that I was on my last bite. It was weird, like when you fall asleep and wake up feeling like you just blinked and the alarm went off. I didn't taste my sandwich at all. After cleaning up my plate, I thought, I could go for a little something sweet, maybe I'll have a piece of fruit. My body just ate lunch, but my mind missed out on the whole experience. So there's my article topic!
Most of you have had an experience like this. In our hurried world, we have become excellent multitaskers. We eat while working, watching TV, reading, driving, dressing?you name it. While this seems to help with our time management, it may be one of the factors contributing the ever increasing incidence of obesity in our country.
Mindfulness is a Zen term used to describe being fully aware and alive in the moment. It is the process of being aware of your sensations and thoughts without trying to judge or control them. To eat mindfully is to experience the meal with as many of your senses as you can, and be fully present in the experience.
Mindful eating is not a new concept. Behavioral diet programs have suggested tips associated with it for years. You've probably heard things like chew each bite 25 times, put your fork down in between bites and eat all your meals at the table. These tips are all ways to slow down while we eat. New evidence shows that while eating slowly is important, it is also important to pay attention while you eat in order to feel fully satisfied.
Normal eating is described as "eating when you are hungry, and stopping when you are full". Sounds simple enough? But this can only happen when you are fully attuned to your body's signals for hunger and satiety. Chronic dieters often lose this ability- through training (constant dieting and "willpower") they have learned to tune out physical hunger and eat only according to their current list of "shoulds" and guidelines. Even people who do have the capacity to recognize the body's physical signals, have to pay attention to it.
In addition to recognizing hunger in general, it is critical to determine the difference between mind hunger and body hunger. By mind hunger, I'm referring to all of the other reasons that we eat- a stressful day, a celebration, boredom, sadness, fear of feeling an emotion? We have learned that when our body or mind is yearning for something, we give it food. It is a quick and easy fix. Maybe what we really needed was a nap, or a hug, or someone to listen or to learn how to express ourselves better. Learning to not feed mind hunger with food is a long process, this is a behavior that we learned long ago, and need to relearn other coping techniques. But just being aware is a great start. When you think you're hungry, ask yourself if food is truly what you need.
As you eat, just notice how hungry you are, how your food tastes, notice that more you eat, the less enjoyment you get. As your body reaches the point of satisfaction/satiety, your food doesn't taste as good as it did on the first bite. See if you can find this point. Geneen Roth explains it best, "Eat what you want. Eat until you've had enough. Satisfaction is both emotional and physical. There's a physical point of satisfaction. It happens often that somebody is eating, and then there's one point at which your body says, 'I've had enough now, anything you put inside me is for your mind, not for me, your body.' You've got to be paying attention there, so that means you've got to be present. If you're distracted, if you're doing something else, you're going to miss that signal."
To make your meals more mindful:
Jonna Reynolds is the founder and CEO of Evolve Wellness Coaching. She helps clients achieve their weight loss goals by looking at all the factors that contribute to their success. Specializing in holistic weight management, behavior change and binge eating disorder, her approach combines exercise physiology, behavioral psychology, nutrition, life coaching to help clients make permanent life changes.
Jonna holds national certifications in Wellness Coaching (Wellcoaches Corporation), Lifestyle and Weight Management Consulting (since 2003), Personal Trainer (since 1993), Group Exercise Instructor (since 1989) from the American Council on Exercise (ACE). Jonna received her BS degree in Health and Exercise Science from Colorado State University in 1994, and has done extensive post graduate work in Exercise Physiology, Wellness Management, Nutrition and Psychology.
For more information on services or to request a speaker on this topic: (480)248-2428 http://www.evolve4life.com
To sign up for the free EVOLVE4LIFE Newsletter: http://www.evolve4life.com/newsletter.html
one time home cleaning Highland Park ..The first rule for successful weight loss and weight maintenance... Read More
ATTITUDESIT'S NOT ABOUT YOU!Exercising has so many physical benefits that... Read More
1. Increase your fiber intake. The body needs a lot... Read More
Eighteen or twenty years ago, I was into high protein,... Read More
What the Diet Industry Does Not Want You To Know:... Read More
Quick, what's the first thought that pops into your head... Read More
I made myself a sandwich today and thought I'd be... Read More
One of the difficulties with dieting is the well known... Read More
Getting involved in Weight Loss Program can be intimidating for... Read More
Hypertension is another name for high blood pressure. Blood pressure... Read More
Dieters have long searched for secret paths to easy weight... Read More
Have you ever wished for a diet where you ate... Read More
"Your Eyes are Bigger Than Your Stomach""Your eyes are bigger... Read More
So your neighbor, office mate, best friend, whoever just lost... Read More
The purpose of this article is not to scrutinize, vilify,... Read More
*Do you truly believe that not eating or cutting back... Read More
No One I Know Looks Like a Bathing Beauty, so... Read More
I'm sure you have heard it before, but one of... Read More
Are you overweight? Then you probably want to lose some... Read More
We have all set them, and we will revisit them... Read More
When most people begin a Weight Loss program or diet... Read More
Are you committed to losing weight and keeping it off?... Read More
Protein is an essential nutrient necessary for maintaining good health.... Read More
A diet may be a fad diet or a healthy... Read More
Are you tired of getting the same old advice when... Read More
licensed cleaning services Park Ridge ..Reducing childhood obesity in the U.S. needs to be a... Read More
The pursuit of a healthier me (or you) shouldn't involve... Read More
What is cellulite? Ask a doctor and he will probably... Read More
If you knew when you were going to die, would... Read More
Maybe you've heard about body dysmorphia ? it's a mental... Read More
Are you one of the many who may be tempted... Read More
We hear it all the time?lose weight for your health.... Read More
Saboteurs are people and thoughts that are going to sabotage... Read More
Fifteen Secrets of Safe and Easy Permanent Weight Loss Revealed!*... Read More
Essential Fats for Weight LossOver the past few decades, the... Read More
I want to talk to you about cows and what... Read More
I thought I could avoid this when we moved to... Read More
Now that everything from a tan to pantyhose comes in... Read More
The act of taking the first step is what separates... Read More
We are inundated by exhortations to lose weight - from... Read More
As hoards of low-carb proponents invade the nutritional landscape, the... Read More
All of our behavior results from the thoughts that preceded... Read More
Over the last 30 years, research into food and blood... Read More
The best way to lose weight is by consuming fewer... Read More
In this age being ignorant is like committing a crime.... Read More
Have you ever wondered why diet books always seem to... Read More
We have all heard of those new diets, Atkins, low... Read More
If you pick the right personal trainer?you'll most definitely see... Read More
Changing our eating behaviour is one of the critical lifestyle... Read More
Food cravings are crafty -- they appear from nowhere and... Read More
Weight Loss |