5 Tips for Building Mindful Eating into Your Busy Day

Posted on February 23, 2018 by Stephanie Lewis, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.

Most things are up for grabs but a few things in life aren’t negotiable. Breathing is one. We have to breathe. Eating is another. We have to eat. Breathing…that’s a topic for another article. Let’s focus now on eating. In the relentless rush to get things done it can be difficult to slow down and focus on nourishing your body.

Do you eat slowly and really enjoy and taste your meals? Or are you multi-tasking and paying little attention to what you’re eating and how? Yes? Well, you’re in good company. I’m sure there is some good soul out there that doesn’t ever eat mindlessly. But I haven’t met that person. Don’t really expect to either.

Mindless eating showed up in my life in all the ways you can think of. Eating while working, driving, walking, reading, watching tv, on the computer, talking on the phone. Eating out of, well really binging on, the bag of tortilla chips or whatever else that was handy when I was stressed or really hungry. I put little thought into the consequences to my body of a diet based almost exclusively on processed, preservative rich, microwaveable foods out of a box or bag. Even though I’m from a food-centric family, eating was literally an afterthought; only what I did to have enough energy to do anything else going on in my “busy” life. And I ate it as quickly as possible, not enjoying my food much less savoring it. Health problems (in the form of life-interfering digestive problems and allergies) finally convinced me I better change before a health crisis of no return developed. Mindful eating has been a revolutionary practice for me and my body feels healthier and happier for it.

If you’re looking to do your body justice, really savor your food, and benefit from all the nourishment it has to offer, here are a few tips to help you gradually integrate mindful eating practices into your busy day. Don’t try to integrate them all at the same time. That can be overwhelming. Start with one or two. Pick what most resonates with you and apply those tips to perhaps a few select meals during the week and build from there:

- Chew your food thoroughly. When you slow down and enjoy your meal, you digest your food more efficiently. The digestive system begins in the mouth. The salivary glands contain enzymes that break the food down, an integral part of the process of chemical digestion and absorption. And the body can’t access any of the nutrients in some foods unless the fibers are broken up in the mouth.

- Eat without distractions. When we’re distracted from our eating we not only miss out on enjoying our food, we also lose track of how much we are actually eating, how quickly we’re eating it, and how the food is making us feel. So, what would it be like to eat without working, watching television, talking on the phone, looking at the computer, or reading a book? Playing relaxing, soothing music while you’re eating can be a great accompaniment to your meal though, particularly if you’re eating alone. If you regularly multi-task when you eat, start with the meal in your day that most easily lends itself to this practice.

- Pay attention to taste. Notice if you actually enjoy what you’re eating or not. You may notice that your enjoyment in a food lessens or disappears as you’re eating it. With attentiveness, you may notice that your body no longer wants what you are eating. When I share this people are always surprised to learn that there can be a change in taste. Slow down and eat your snacks or meals with curiosity. Notice if the taste of what you’re eating changes and how that affects how much you eat.

- Respect your hunger. Do you work or power through your hunger? And then what happens? Do you end up overeating or eating unhealthy food you later regret? Take the time to recognize when you are physically hungry. And when you are, feed that hunger with substantive nutrients before your body becomes mad-hungry. Perhaps that means planning ahead and having an extra meal on hand at the office if you know you’ll be working late or at a minimum some nutritious snacks to tie you over.

- Notice what else your body is telling you. What if you are no longer hungry or your stomach is just plain full? So many of us have been trained to not be wasteful and to eat everything that is on our plate we have lost connection to what our body is telling us. Listen to the natural wisdom of your body. Notice, for instance, when you are full and then stop. I know. It’s hard to change such a heartfelt and ingrained habit. But think of it this way – you won’t be wasting food in the long run. Think of it as a transition to learning the correct portion size for you. And a transition to a healthier you.

These starting points for conscious, mindful eating can have a powerful impact on your eating patterns. It has certainly dramatically improved my relationship with food. If you take the time to enjoy and taste your food, chances are that you’ll also be more conscious of and happier with your food choices and eating habits in the future.

Stephanie Lewis is a certified health & wellness coach and meditation instructor. She can be reached at slewis@livewellflow.com.