Too many people find themselves eating throughout the day without even realizing they are doing so.
By day’s end, they’ve tallied quite a high level of calories but may not even feel the psychological satisfaction that comes from those meals.
Conscious eating is important for so many reasons.
Become a Conscious Eater –
Sit Down When You Eat
Whenever possible, sit down while you eat. Eating while standing can ruin any good diet because nine times out of ten, you are not accounting for what you are eating. You are ‘eating on the go’ and those calories won’t really be registered or fill you up like they should.
Make a concentrated effort to always be seated whenever you eat a meal or snack. When you are seated, you can focus on the food you are consuming.
Eliminate Distractions
One of the core principles of conscious eating is minimizing distractions during meals.
This means turning off the TV, putting away your phone, and avoiding reading or intense conversations while eating. By reducing distractions, you can pay closer attention to the taste, texture, and enjoyment of your food, which can lead to better digestion and greater satisfaction with smaller portions.
Chew Thoroughly
Chewing your food thoroughly is not only good for your digestion, but it also slows down your eating pace, allowing your brain ample time to register fullness. This helps prevent overeating. Chew each bite around 20-30 times and you will not only improve the breakdown of food but you’ll enhance your ability to truly taste and enjoy what you are eating.
Use Smaller Plates
A simple but effective strategy to control portions is to use smaller plates. Smaller plates naturally lead to smaller portions. They make your plate look fuller, helping you feel satisfied with less food. This visual trick helps reinforce your goals for conscious eating by making you feel more content with less.
Practice Mindful Eating
Mindfulness involves being fully present in the moment, and applying this to eating means really noticing each aspect of your meal.
Pay attention to the smell, taste, and texture of your food. Notice the colors and shapes on your plate and appreciate the effort that went into preparing your meal. This practice can deepen your relationship with food and enhance the joy of eating.
Plan Your Meals
Planning your meals can help avoid the pitfall of impulsive eating decisions that may not align with your health and wellness goals.
Knowing what you are going to eat ahead of time, allows you time to prepare balanced, nutritious meals that contribute to a more conscious way of eating rather than grabbing on the go. Meal planning reduces the stress of last-minute decisions and helps maintain a consistent eating schedule.
Keep a Food Diary
Writing down what you eat, how much you eat, and how you feel after eating can provide insightful patterns that affect your eating behaviors.
A food diary is a good way to become more aware of your eating habits and the emotional and environmental triggers that may lead to mindless eating, dead calories, and excess weight.
Engage All Your Senses
To make eating a fully conscious activity, try to engage all your senses.
Look at your food and appreciate its visual appeal, smell its aromas before you begin eating, taste its complexity, and listen to the sounds of crunchy or crispy foods. This type of sensory engagement makes meals more memorable and satisfying.
Eat Slowly
It takes about 20 minutes for the brain to receive signals of fullness from the stomach. Make a deliberate effort to slow down your eating pace so your body has time to recognize these cues and stop eating before you feel uncomfortably full.
Conscious eating is about creating a healthy relationship with food. It’s really that simple.
It’s a practice that not only involves making choices that support physical health but also enriches your mental and emotional well-being. By incorporating these habits, you can turn every meal into a deliberate, enjoyable, and satisfying experience.
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