You’ve probably heard about “mindfulness,” but you’re not sure what it is or how to apply it to your life and eating habits. To be mindful is simply taking a few seconds to focus on yourself. I am an experienced nutritionist and hypnotherapist in Dubai, and I hold workshops for mindful eating, eating disorders, and habit building. In this blog, we will talk about mindful eating and reasons to practice it.
01/ What Is Mindfulness?
Being mindful means paying good attention to what’s happening at the moment. Put simply, mindfulness is about being present. It means noticing what's happening inside your mind and your body and being conscious of what's happening around you. When you are being mindful, the key is not to label or judge what's happening, it is about observing. You notice your life with a slight distance instead of reacting emotionally. The reverse of mindfulness is being on autopilot. That's when you do things without any consideration or thought.
02/ Why Practice Mindful Eating?
Being mindful helps to be aware when you're on autopilot. That makes you change what you're doing in the moment, rather than regretting it later. Let's say for example you found yourself munching a pack of chips while watching your favorite show. When being mindful, you could exchange the chips for carrots or skip the food because you are unable to focus on every bite while watching TV or decide to skip TV and go out for a walk instead.
03/ How Can You Use Mindfulness to Lose Weight?
You can use this practice to help you maintain a healthy weight. With food, you have many chances to be mindful:
- Do a gut check to see if you feel hungry before you eat.
- Focus on every bite and enjoy the flavor and texture.
- Notice if what you are saying to yourself is supportive.
- Do one more check to see how full you are. This way you can stop eating when you feel satisfied instead of mindlessly cleaning your plate.
Check this article to learn more about how to enjoy your favorite foods and feel less guilty around food.
04/ Exercise More by Exercising Your Mind
Want to exercise more? Mindfulness could help you enjoy activities. Here is how you can exercise mindfully:
- Focus on how your body feels. Are your muscles stressed? Do you feel agitated?
- Does the activity you're doing make your body feel great while you're doing it?
- In case the exercise targets a certain body part, how does that part feel while you're doing it?
- Pay attention to your thoughts about how you're moving. Are the thoughts cheering?
