Mindful eating means being in touch with all your senses while eating and, more importantly, it means being aware of your body’s needs. Mindful eating means being satisfied with the food you eat even after eating small quantities. Mindless eating means eating out of boredom, sadness, anger, frustration or any other emotion. You ate mindlessly if you ate too fast and realized you ate too much once you already finished your meal. Mindless eating is the main cause of overeating, which leads to weight gain. Use the following tips to help you achieve mindful eating.
Mindful Eating Tips
· Ask yourself “How hungry am I?” Use the hunger- fullness scale (0-Starving and 10-Uncomfortably full)
· Eat when you are at 2-3 on the hunger-fullness scale (hungry, but not starving) and stop when you are at 7-8 (satisfied, but not stuffed).
· You are “satisfied” when you ate enough to carry you through the next 2 ½-3 hours without need for another meal/snack.
· Put your fork down when you finish eating and wait at least 10 minutes to check whether you want to keep eating or you are satisfied.
· Eat slowly. Take around 30 minutes to finish a meal.
· Taste each bite you take in, particularly the first few bites.
· Do not eat in front of the computer or TV. These will keep you from being aware of the taste and the amount of food.
· Question whether your bites of food are too big. If so, take smaller bites than usual.
· Be aware of what you are eating and try to eat what your body wants. If your body is asking for a hamburger it is probably because your body needs protein.
· Learn to leave food on your plate if you are full. Don’t hesitate to ask for a Doggy Bag.
· Do not eat sweets when you are starving. If you do, you will likely eat quickly and too much and not fully taste them.
· Follow your cravings by taking time to eat them: taste them and, most importantly, enjoy them. For example, if you are craving chocolate have a small square of chocolate and eat it slowly, really savor it. If you still want more start the process again but always be aware of you body’s cues.
Jessica Gallego, RD, LD, is a bilingual Spanish-English licensed nutritionist and has been a registered dietitian since 2000. She received her Nutritionist/Dietitian degree at the Universidad Central de Venezuela and her Masters in Clinical Nutrition at New York University.
Mrs. Gallego works as a nutritionist at the Renfrew Center, one of the leading residential eating disorder facilities in the country, where she continues to gain extensive experience in nutrition counseling and group therapy. Mrs. Gallego has a special interest in helping those suffering with eating disorders improve their behaviors and conquer their food fears.
Additionally, Mrs. Gallego is certified in weight management and is extremely knowledgeable in treating overweight and obese patients. During her work at different hospitals including Saint Vincent’s Hospital in Manhattan and Centro Medico de Caracas, Mrs. Gallego has counseled patients suffering from various nutrition related diseases such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. She is truly passionate about helping people improve their health and well being by providing nutrition education and promoting lifestyle changes using a non-diet approach.
