THE ART OF PRESENCE WHILE YOU EAT
FOOD MINDFULNESS
NOVEMBER, 06 2023
A question for you, can you remember the last meal you enjoyed that received your undivided attention, free from electronic devices like TV or social media? Or, the last time you truly paid attention to what you were eating, how it smelt, the colours, textures, flavours, or where it came from? Or, were you taking a bite while simultaneously thinking about the next bite/making movements with utensils readying the next mouthful at the same time you switched off with the latest episode of whatever it is you’re watching, while texting your work mate about that thing due tomorrow?
I can’t be a Clinical Nutritionist without addressing mindfulness. It’s the Meditation teacher in me. I often talk about food mindfulness and incorporate an activity into workshops and retreats. Side story: one retreat, I did the exercise using chocolate. I really love bitter foods. The darker the chocolate, the better. I was clearly only thinking about myself and purchased 85% dark chocolate. Part of the exercise involves closing your eyes before putting the chocolate in your mouth. Obviously, the group trusted me to at least choose some delicious tasting creamy chocolate. Apparently, I didn’t.
Mindful eating is an important practice. Digestion of food starts in the mouth… It even starts prior to this. When you stop right now to think about something delicious i.e., your favourite food melting in your mouth – what just happened? I bet you noticed an increase in saliva. Maybe you can even feel a slight message from your stomach saying, ‘yeah I could totally grumble right now’.
A mind-body connection through mindful eating can help promote proper digestion through assisting normal peristalsis and producing digestive secretions such as enzymes, thereby improving nutrient absorption. Just like when you are stressed or nervous about an event, you might feel ‘butterflies’ or discomfort in your gut. The last thing your gut probably wants to do in that moment, is digest a big meal.
Don’t worry, I’m not going to recommend you count thirty chews each mouthful to activate the most enzymes you can before swallowing because that is disgusting. Eating mindfully however, is important, and the practice of it supports ‘rest and digest’ or parasympathetic functioning of the nervous system, helping to regulate digestive function.
Responding to food cues such as pure habit, boredom, emotion, and reward can perpetuate stress-related eating patterns. Eating in a stressed state can have consequences when it comes to digestion including altering gut motility, decreasing production of digestive secretions, and impairing nutrient absorption and assimilation, just to mention a few.
This can be seen in Microbiome functional testing as well when we start to see a high amount of some oral species of bacteria that show up in the stool sample results that shouldn’t normally be there (or in excess). This can mean we are not spending enough time chewing, slowing down and mindfully eating. This can have flow on effects to digestive symptoms such as reflux, bloating and indigestion.
As well as being much more enjoyable when you become comfortable with slowing down your meals, studies have shown that eating mindfully can help to enhance digestive health through lessening the negative effects chronic stress has on the gut. Some of my clients have found massive improvements in digestive discomfort from incorporating food mindfulness into their mealtimes.
If food behaviour change is one of your health goals, for example mindlessly reaching for snacks or treats, then food mindfulness is an essential practice to begin.
HERE ARE TEN WAYS TO INCORPORATE MINDFUL EATING INTO YOUR LIFE
1 Slow down. Chew your food! Like I mentioned, I’m not going to encourage you to count a certain number of chews, but just slow it down. The act of chewing works to secrete enzymes that support breaking down foods in preparation for digestion and nutrient absorption. Slowing down also allows the body to send you signals that you’ve had enough and to avoid the discomfort of overeating. It can take over twenty minutes for your brain to register that you are full.
2 Sit down to eat. Try to avoid eating on the go or in the car.
3 Put utensils down while you’re eating a mouthful.
4 Avoid multitasking. Eat intentionally. Enjoy your food. Remove distractions such as TV and social media.
5 Distinguish between hunger and non-hunger triggers. Before you eat: ask yourself - am I hungry? Or, is the desire about something else? Boredom? Distraction?
6 Also, before you eat. Take a few deep breaths. Allow the body to be present to the fact it’s time to rest and digest.
7 Observe your food and hunger habits across the day.
8 Keep a food and cravings journal for a few days. Notice if any cravings are stimulated by emotions or energy levels.
9 Pay attention to your food as you're eating. Texture, colour, smell, flavour, ingredients, where it came from, how it was made.
10 Practice deep gratitude and thanks for the meal in front of you.
"To cultivate mindfulness, we can do the same things we always do - walking, sitting, working, eating, and so on - with mindful awareness of what we are doing. When we’re eating, we know that we are eating. When we open a door, we know that we’re opening a door. Our mind is with our actions. When you put a piece of fruit into your mouth, all you need is a little bit of mindfulness to be aware: 'I am putting a piece of apple in my mouth.' Your mind doesn’t need to be somewhere else. If you’re thinking of work while you chew, that’s not eating mindfully. When you pay attention to the apple, that is mindfulness. Then you can look more deeply and in just a very short time you will see the apple seed, the beautiful orchard and the sky, the farmer, the picker, and so on. A lot of work is in that apple!" Thich Nhat Hanh.
(Pictured: Food Mindfulness)
By Sarah Mundell - Clinical Nutritionist BHSc
First seen in the Seasonal Magazine: Spring 2023
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