Enjoy our food...
Morning guys, Ash here
How is your week going? It looks like the long winter is coming to an end and some beautiful sunshine is here
We are continuing our focus of nutrition and today we are talking about mindful eating. This is something we have touched on before, as one of the biggest things we do mindlessly is eat. For a lot of us, we shop without a list. We make the same meals every week. We fail to do our research. We don't listen to the way our bodies react to certain foods. We don't always take the time to enjoy our food at every meal! Modern living has caused us to dramatically change the way we consume our food so it's time to get mindful again...
Here are some tips as to how you can change the habit from mindlessly to mindfully eating -
1. Eat when you are hungry or know that it is beneficial (90 minutes before going to the gym for example). We must remember that we mostly eat to fuel our bodies to be strong and healthy and should try to avoid eating because we are feeling sad, happy, angry etc. This isn't always easy but if you find yourself emotionally eating, think about putting down the food and trying a 10 minute mindfulness meditation to calm the mind. Sometimes we just need to re-balance and re-center to make better choices.
2. Use the senses when eating. This may sound silly or slightly 'hippie' like but when was the last time you really took a moment to see your food, smell your food, feel the texture and admire all of the different tastes? The more time we take to be mindful of the food we consume, the less likely we are to overindulge.
3. Consider where you food comes from. We often eat without really thinking about what it is we putting in to our bodies. Every time we make a meal, ask yourself if the food is nutritious and good for you? Where has the food come from? Is it good quality?
4. Try to be silent at certain points during your meal. I know this is not always possible but by having some quiet moments to really experience the food you are eating, you will eat more slowly... which is much better for digestion! Don't use your phone or watch TV or read, let your focus be 100% on your meal.
5. Listen to your body and know when it is time to stop eating. Sometimes you will clear your plate, at other times you may leave some, but by listening to our bodies and not going past our limits of fullness we will feel stronger, both physically and mentally.
6. Don't overthink! Despite all of the above, eating should be enjoyable and we shouldn't be overthinking our diet constantly as this can lead to bad habits, poor choices and low feelings in our mental health. Yes, we need to be healthy. Yes, eating mindfully will help us to make better choices and improve digestion. Yes, food is fuel! But never forget that it is ok to enjoy food too. We are allowed to treat ourselves and not feel guilty - being mindful of our treats should then mean we make better decisions when we are eating more healthily the remaining 80% of the time!
Food shouldn't be something we obsess over, it should be something we are mindful of and I hope you read this email and understand the difference Research shows that mindful eating improves nutrition overall so why not try one of the tips above at your next meal... if you aren't already!
Have a wonderful, mindful rest of your week
Sam and Ash
P.S. SMASH Discovery is COMING BACK! Saturday 12th May - put the date in the diary now!
