Summer is over and the distraction of fun in the sun will soon be replaced by our weekly routines at school, work, home or the gym. More than just nutrition alone, a healthy diet consists of not only physical choices, but mental ones, too.
The practice of mindful nourishment is really is just that: a practice. It’s the opposite of the diet or deprivation mentality. Rather, being fully appreciative and present with what you are eating to fuel and nourish what your body needs to succeed. The idea is a departure from trendy crash diets, ones that overtake your motivation with the feeling of guilt at the slightest misstep off a designated menu or meal. Pangs of guilt, along with other negative emotions like shame, embarrassment, fear and anger, often feed into emotional eating and binging- no way to live day-to-day life.
Reshaping the way hunger and nourishment are mentally processed and approached can have a huge affect on mental and physical health. When you’re aware and full of intent when you sit down to eat, you start to look at food as nourishment and learn to appreciate it in a whole new light. You may learn to love cooking and preparing your lunches-something that once seemed to be a burden- or discover new ingredients that you never knew you would enjoy.
All the benefits of mindful eating take practice and concentration. It’s about slowing down, being present, attentive and thoughtful about what you’re eating and why, and understanding what your body is telling you-like when your satiated. When you do this
After putting a few mindful eating tactics to the test, we’ve put together a few of our favorite (and easy to implement) “do’s and don’ts” to help encourage a mindful and satisfying approach to your next meal:
DO: Notice each bite by:
DON’T: Multitask
DO: Make your meal an event by:
DO: Understand your body’s cues by:
DON’T: Take your food for granted
DO: Think about where it came from by:
DO: Eat foods you enjoy by:
DON’T: Starve yourself or waste your hunger on empty calories
DO: Make good food choices by:
DO: Evaluate your hunger by:
DON’T: Obsess over numbers
DO: Take the time to understand what your body needs to feel its best by:
For more tips and tricks, check out this great guide: “Marathon of Mindful Eating.”
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