Mindful eating is not something new, it is the basic practice which used to be followed by our ancestors and maybe few of us now also, but forgotten by most of us and we do not even realize what we wrong we are so basically, mindful eating refers to eating with intention being completely involve in the process no distraction, it means whenever we are eating we need to be completely conscious of the food and the entire process of eating.
Basically, it is a technique for developing eating habits, and it helps us manage weight by avoiding overeating. Mindful eating involves using mindfulness to bring full attention to your experiences, cravings, and physical cues when eating.
Why is mindful eating so important?
Since we are living in a fast paced generation which is full of distractions like television, phone etc, hence it is a very important to keep an eye on our habits, either it is sleeping, working or eating because these technology being so much helpful for us has made a significant part in our life, that is why keeping in mind that when to get rid of them is important, not only the technology, but the generation where everything is well connected, and our mind is flooded with information, news tragedy almost everything happening around the world, now this apart from keeping us updated also make a place in our head and then thoughts which is enough to keep us distracted.
In this it becomes very important that we pay an extra attention towards mindful eating because a distracted eating is mostly of no use it is just you are putting things in your stomach but the mindful eating is blissful and very good for our health, when we are not mindful during eating we are not triggering the parts which plays a vital role in digestion and absorption apart from that our stomach also can not give actual signal of hunger or filled because during distracted eating we are just eating either too fast or too slow not chewing the food properly, not letting saliva form in the mouth then not awakening the digestive fire in our stomach, during distracted eating we also do not know when to drink water, how much to drink and these habits slowly kills our digestion.
We already know our gut health plays a vital role in our mental health, and if our gut is not in proper condition, it will lead to multiple physical and mental diseases.
How does a Mindful eating look like?
It starts with smelling the food, then watching it with admiration imagining it in our mind that how blissful the food is after that we should say a little prayer towards the food showing gratitud about what a bless god has provided us with this food, after doing this we can start eating, and well before all these we need to make a proper setup to eat and this setup is not about a hi-fi planning it is about just doing something basic but necessary.
First, remove all the distractions like phone television or just a normal chit chat you are doing with someone in person, talking while eating or drinking is not advisable even science says this, because our food pipe and wind pipe collapse sometime and we get into trouble sometimes it can be fatal, after that the gesture which we discussed above and then the posture we should always eat in a way that our spine is erect our belly is relaxed and if possible try to eat on ground with your legs folded in cross, now this posture will help you to avoid overeating because it will give signal to your body even it it is third part filled and this is very good for digestion, part from all these being emotionally connected with your food is very important at the time of eating feel like it is something from which you are made up of, the food you are eating is becoming you and this mindset will bring a drastic change towards the food you feel.
What is emotional and physical eating?
There is this term called emotional and physical eating, and it is very important to understand the difference when it comes to mindful eating. Emotional eating is the urge to eat when you feel hunger emotionally, and it is your mind giving a signal to cope with anxiety or stress, because if a person is in some sort of stress he/she prone to emotional eating.
In most of the cases the person who does over eating is in some mental disorder because by eating again and again distracts the brain for loneliness or maybe some other reason, also one thing to be noted that in most of the overeating cases the person is not eating fruits it is mostly junk food, because these foods are designed to trigger short term excitement in our brain through the taste bud.
We have to understand that the mind does not need food; it is our body which needs food as fuel,l then it supplies essential nutrients to the mind to function properly, but if it comes to emotional eating, it is our mind which triggers the hunger signal for its dopamine boost. There is also a term called Binge Eating Disorder, where you keep eating while watching TV or any entertainment activity.
It is a type of disorder where you get addicted to eating a snack or something. It is also seen where people just keep munching laying in bed, and it is a major reason of over eating continuously without control. On the other hand Physical eating is the real one because it is physical hunger arising from the need of body but not the mind, the physical hunger is the one which need to be focused and incorporated in our life, and the physical hunger is not only something our body is asking for food but at the same time our body starts preparation for the process of digestion our fire element starts activating in the stomach, and the food eaten at this time is properly digested and all the nutrients are absorbed by the body hence it is very important to understand the difference and choose wisely that when it is the time to eat and when it is not.
Importance of Mindful Eating
Many research has shown that mindful eating the best way to control weight even it helps in weight loss and by mindful eating the weight loss done is sustainable and the person can not regain the weight but on the other hand the weight loss done through any weight loss program is not sustainable in most the cases it has been observed that the person regain the weight after leaving the program, now the question is the same may happen with mindful eating if you stop doing so it will promote weight gain and obesity then yes it will, but why someone will adapt a good habit then willingly switch to bad habit, you know what is the best part of mindful eating, once you start practicing it it will become a part of your routine and with time you need not to give extra effort on this, same like you need not to remind to brush your teeth.
Mindful eating can improve body image dissatisfaction, eating habits, and quality of life; it prevents you from binge or emotional eating and hence many troubles associated with them. Mindful eating has a very significant role in spirituality, it helps a person being more aware about the food he is eating, with what intention he/she is eating then the result related with it, it is also important to keep a watch on the type of food, basically foods are divided into three categories as per their nature Satvik, Rajsik and Tamsik, the last one is on the least energy as it is lowest in the prana.
Hence, in spirituality and yoga, it is advised not to eat tamsik food, but even though you are eating satvik and rajsik food and you are not eating with mindfulness, then most likely the satvik and rajsik will turn to tamsik and will have the same effect on our body. Tamsik food causes many bad effects on our body, like low energy. Anxious, tired, and restless these are a few mainly seen in people consuming tamsic food. Hence, understanding the importance of mindful eating, we should start practicing it from today.
5 steps for mindful eating
- Selection of Right food: It is very important to select the right food that needs to be eaten because eating anything at any time will not make it mindful eating; for example, having curd in dinner is the wrong selection of food and hence a big hindrance in mindful eating. As per Ayurveda, there is food according to time and season; if we can follow it, it will be a big first step towards mindful eating.
- Preparation for eating: Before you start eating, it is very important that you well prepare yourself for the process, which involves everything from washing your hands and face, then sitting properly and doing prayer, then starting to eat.
- Do not eat in a hurry: It is one of the bad habits where people start eating directly from the package. Please do not do this because it does not allow you to enjoy the food completely; hence, it is advised to take food properly in plates and bowls, then eat,
- Showing Gratitude: You must show gratitude towards the food and the person who has cooked it; it improves your well-being and also makes the relationship better.
- During and after eating: While eating, it is not advised to talk or drink much water; we can just sip a little bit if needed, but drinking water on a full stomach is the major reason for indigestion. Avoid eating in aluminium and plastic utensils . Also, after eating, try to sit in Vajrasana position for 5- 10 minutes.
Conclusion
Eating mindfully is a practice that requires the commitment to behaviour change similar to that needed for any diet or eating plan. Mindful eating helps lose weight and keep it off; mindful eating supports practitioners’ sense of who they are by assuring them that they are ok in a nonjudgemental and self-accepting way.
Also Read: Digital Detox Algorithm: Reclaim Focus & Calm in a Notification-Flooded World
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