Mindful Eating: What It Is And How It Can Help Regulate Weight
Mindful Eating is the practice of Mindfulness during eating.
It therefore consists of conscious eating, applying full attention before, during and after each meal or drink. Enjoying the experience of consuming food, dedicating 100% of our attention to the physical sensations produced by the flavors, textures, and smells of each meal, and fully enjoying the emotions, thoughts, and behaviors evoked by that conscious enjoyment and savoring.
Although it is something “simple”, the vast majority of people have a dysfunctional meal, characterized for example by eating with little time and therefore in a hurry, eating prioritizing and attending to thoughts about tasks that are pending to be done or worries to be resolved, and meals along with entertainment such as watching television or keeping an eye on your cell phone without enjoying food.
Besides, In the society in which we live, it is easy to learn dysfunctional patterns of relationships with food it is common to establish “emotional meals” in which a real physiological hunger is not calmed but rather an emotion such as boredom, anxiety, loneliness, sadness, etc.
When maladaptive eating behaviors are established to “calm down” situations that make us feel bad (anxiety, negative emotions, stress, etc…), we obtain the natural reinforcement of food (food is a natural reinforcement). By eating we obtain the short-term emotional well-being we need ; It is probably influenced by the activation of the parasympathetic system, which is activated during digestion (produces relaxation) and the previous sympathetic system is deactivated (activation, stress and anxiety).
As a consequence, by feeling better when eating, we reinforce that pattern of behavior by repeating it more times. However, in the long term the consequences are negative, because not having healthy eating habits the probability of being overweight and associated cardiovascular diseases will be greater
For decades, the quintessential solution used for weight loss is diet. However, diets that are not completely adequate can cause increased anxiety if people are really hungry, failing to establish an adequate eating pattern.
The best option is to be able establish an association of eating to meet the physiological need and dissociate the eating behavior along with other negative emotions (like anxiety).
Mindful Eating Guidelines
At Psicoalmeria we recommend guidelines to establish an adequate relationship pattern with food; They will help you whether you are on a diet or if you simply want to obtain healthier habits
1. Prepare the food in an adequate quantity
Keep in mind that always We tend to finish what we start and probably if you go over the quantity you will want to leave “the plate clean.” even if you already feel full.
2. Eat sitting, not standing
In a comfortable place free of distractions if possible.
3. The only thing you have to do is enjoy the food with a “beginner’s mind”
That is to say, as if it were the first time you eat that food and with openness to all sensations and emotions All your attention and intention will be on the food.
4. Rely on audio material
Before you start enjoying food, use the mindful eating audio from Psicoalmeria; You will be able to focus your attention better and savor the moment. In addition, the audio is designed for the first bite, allowing you to eat afterwards at an appropriate pace and dissociate anxiety + food.
Enjoy pleasant sensations, emotions and thoughts that evoke that food in you.
Advantages of Mindful Eating
Among the advantages of minful eating, the following stand out:
Are you looking for psychological assistance?
If you haven’t gotten results for a while from your diet regulation or weight loss plans, you surely need guidelines adapted to your situation.
In Psychoalmeria We are in charge of evaluating your demand and objectives to establish the best techniques and psychological guidelines until you achieve your well-being. Psychologist Verónica Valderrama Hernández and her colleagues successfully handle many cases related to eating problems and disorders. You can do the sessions in person in Almería (Spain) and online in a comfortable way.
