Being more mindful in your life is such a huge part of building and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. But what the heck is mindfulness you ask? It’s about being aware, conscious and present in our daily lives. Sounds simple, but it’s truly difficult, especially in our busy, stressful and sometimes crazy lives. So — in the case of your challenge for today, I want you to become more mindful around food.
Here’s your challenge for today — practice mindfulness at mealtimes. Pick one, two, or even all of the mindfulness tips below and make it a priority for today.
DAY 5 CHALLENGE — become more mindful.
but first, ask yourself a couple of questions —
do you often multitask while eating? i.e. watching tv, scrolling on your phone, reading, working, driving, etc.
do you often suffer from poor digestion?
do you constantly need to be chewing on something like gum, or popping mints or candies in your mouth throughout the day?
are you a constant snacker/grazer instead of a meal eater?
do you find yourself sitting down with a bag of chips, and before you know it, the entire bag is empty?
do you sometimes go the entire day without eating — and not even feel hungry?
If you can answer yes to some or all of these questions, then chances are, you struggle with mindfulness around food.
But why does this even matter anyways and what does it have to do with my health? Here’s the deal. Your brain and gut have an amazing, interconnected relationship that you may not be aware of. You even have a “second brain” in your gut known as the enteric nervous system. When we eat, signals gets sent to your digestive tract to secrete specific enzymes to break down your food. Without these signals, it would be very difficult to digest your food properly and to obtain the necessary nutrients. So think about eating when you’re stressed, distracted or on the go. Your body is focused on what it sees as most important [i.e. stress], then add the task of digestion on top of that, and it gets overwhelming. Digestion typically takes a back seat to other seemingly more important things like stress, work and other distractions. So — distracted, un-mindful eating equals poor digestion. Not a good thing when trying to become healthier.
To sum it up, the state in which we eat food can change the way our body digests that food. Our bodies digest food and assimilate nutrients best when we are in a calm, mindful, non-stressful state [and eating healthy food, of course!].
But that’s not all. Not only is our ability to digest food compromised in an un-mindful state, we also lose site of our innate hunger and fullness cues. Such a bummer. What this basically means is that our bodies are naturally wired to be able to recognize when we’re hungry or full [i.e. eat when your hungry and stop when you’re satisfied] — but — with our crazy, busy, stressful lives, we start to lose that. Now we overeat. We under eat. We eat for no reason. And the cycle continues. Until we decide to become more mindful.
t i p s f o r i n t u i t i v e e a t i n g + m i n d f u l n e s s .
n o m u l t i – t a s k i n g a n d d i s t r a c t i o n s w h i l e e a t i n g .
Turn off the TV, move away from your computer, set your phone down. Stop working. No multitasking at mealtimes. Sit at a table, pay attention, get comfortable, relax. Savor and enjoy your food slowly instead of scarfing it. This will give your body the ability to properly digest your food.
t a k e a l o o k a t y o u r p l a t e .
Notice what’s on your plate. Does it look like the balanced, healthy plate model that I challenged you with earlier this week? Does your food look appetizing? By simply paying more attention to the food on your plate, you become more aware and present in the moment, which is exactly what we’re going for.
r e a l l y t a s t e i t .
Really taste your food. And chew your food. Take several bites before swallowing. Chewing is the first step to optimal digestion because it starts the breakdown process of your food, which will eventually turn into the vitamins and minerals that nourish your body.
n o t i c e h o w y o u r b o d y f e e l s . a r e y o u s a t i s f i e d ?
Do you notice your stomach feeling full as you eat? Are you starting to feel satisfied? Are you getting too full? Are you still enjoying your meal? Give your body time to feel satisfied. It can take 20 minutes to feel truly satisfied with a meal which is why it’s so important to slow down. And as you become more mindful and present while eating, you innately stop eating when you feel satisfied — ahh what a wonderful feeling that is!
b e m i n d f u l i n o t h e r a r e a s o f y o u r l i f e .
Don’t stop with practicing mindfulness only at mealtimes. Become a more mindful person as a whole. Put your phone down more often and disconnect from social media. Call a friend instead of scrolling through the internet. Try meditating. There are several, free smart phone apps for guided meditation if you’re new to it. Go on a walk with a loved one instead of turing on the TV. All of these things together will make you a happier, healthier person overall.
Alright, let’s get today underway! Check your inbox tomorrow for challenge #6.
Don’t forget to —
- drink your water,
- build a healthier, balanced plate,
- move your body each day,
- and eat more greens from here on out.
And if you’ve missed any other challenge days, simply click here.
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