Mindful eating replaces self-criticism with self-nurturing.
It replaces shame with respect for your own inner wisdom.
-Jan Chozen Bays

Living in a world where every second person has varied opinions about food and is ready to bombard you with different facts, advice on your body and the kind of nutrition you should be providing. Keeping up with all the fads can often be a tedious task.
Everyone has a different relationship with food and it is more than necessary to acknowledge it and work upon it.

There are numerous diets in the health sector at the moment, each having their own ideologies and approaches. While nutritionists and diets may help you reach your health goal through various tools, there are certain aspects and practices you need to adapt and be persistent to achieve these health goals.

The first and the most important step is to acknowledge that while you still may be a work in progress, you are no less than a masterpiece. The second step in your health journey would be practicing mindful eating and the rest will follow.

 

What is Mindful Eating?

Mindful eating revolves around the concept of slowing down, being self-aware about your food consumption habits and reading the signals your body is sending you in terms of what it requires. Mindful eating is based on being in touch with your emotions as well as your physical self and the sensations you experience through food. Using mindfulness, one can monitor their food-related disorders, cravings, consumption pattern, and furthermore, their effects on one’s body.

 

How to practice Mindful eating?

• · Have your meals slowly and without any distractions, by creating a positive environment.
• ·Pay great attention to the meal you are consuming. Engage your senses when you eat by, smelling
  the aroma of the food, feeling its texture on the skin, and how it looks to your eyes.
• · Try to eat your meals with your loved ones around the same time on a daily basis to implement
  a healthy pattern.
• · Listen to your body closely and fulfil its dietary needs.
• · Avoid overeating, instead, eat a little less than what you intend to eat.
• · Be conscious of your eating patterns.
• · Learn to distinguish between actual physical hunger and eating your emotions seeking comfort.
• · Make an effort to eat wholesome food rather than just binging on comfort food.
• · Indulging yourself once in a while is alright, if you have a balanced diet on a regular basis
• · Observe how different foods tend to make you feel and what emotions do they evoke in you.
• · Make an effort to know the source of your produce and food items.
• · Always appreciate and savour the meals you consume, never rush.
• Although it is necessary to acquire nutrition through the food we put in our bodies, the concept of mindful eating focuses more on how you consume rather than what you consume.

Having a positive relationship with food and our diet is integral to every human’s well-being as it is our sole mode of sustenance and thus, very essential. When an individual has a positive relationship with food they invariably have a positive relationship with themselves as well.

 

Our outlook on these aspects and the tools of mindful eating further motivate us to become more well-rounded human beings. Even though we may not always love our bodies and pick out flaws, we must reward it with healthy food habits and make a conscious effort to take well-informed steps for the well-being of both our mind and body.