Introduction
Mindful eating is a novel term for modern-day eating habits. The terminology is often found nowadays, especially when the healthcare professional or nutritionist would be recommending suggestions to incorporate for a healthy lifestyle. It is a known fact that one cannot separate the eating habits from the mental state or thoughtful state. This is because ever since human civilizations started culinary practice or the art of cooking food, be it from beliefs, traditions or the thoughts, the state of mind and the mental concentration is clearly incorporated into daily cooking practice as well as in the foods one consumes. While consuming a nutrient dense and a balanced diet with a variety of different foods is thought to be the healthiest way for sustenance of the body metabolism, it is also the choice of diet that equally contributes to this state of "health".
Though the terms "mindful" and "intuitive" may come across as slightly different words, they belong to the broader concept which is focused on balanced eating patterns. The difference in terminology of mindful and intuitive eating lies only in the distinct histories and traditions all around the world. Ultimately, it is important to embrace this concept of mindful eating that can harbor and create a positive impact and healthy relationship towards the food one consumes.
What Is the History and Rationale Behind Mindful Eating?
Ideas that stem from mindfulness, primarily come from the concepts of being non-judgmental, practicing patience, and living in the present moment. These ideas have been dating back to ancient Buddhism. In the 20th century and currently in the 21st century, these ancient ideas underwent a revival to establish a link between consuming nutritious foods mindfully, so as to truly attain good health and peace of mind.
According to the information given in nutrition science, the University of Massachusetts researcher Jon Kabat-Zinn, the father of mindfulness of the modern-day era, established the Center for Mindfulness at UMass in the late 1970s. This led to the evolution of the concept of mindful eating patterns and was also passed on informatively to nutrition experts across the globe. Over the last few decades, the famous mindfulness exercises for eating that have been advocated by Kabat-Zinn have brought a balance into modern lifestyle. This can be stated by a small example, mindful eating a small resin with full attention to it, relishing its taste, leads to energy drive in, towards all five senses which ensures that food is consumed with right intent and with all focus. This small yet mighty practice can boost the energy.
How Can Mindful Eating Prevent Eating Disorders?
Although mindfulness is now referred to as a trendy concept in nutrition, it is definitely not a new concept at all. In fact, mindful eating has always been the cornerstone for centuries of culinary beliefs, traditions and advocated even by medical practitioners or professionals from times of ancient human history.
It is to be noted however that this has only been the start of mindful eating patterns. Over the years, modern day nutritionists and dieticians including healthcare professionals have defined mindful eating as a practice that involves the basic human principles of harnessing present moment awareness while one consumes the food, with all focus and attention of all five senses towards the food.
For individuals who are less focused into what they eat or less aware of the nutritional pros and cons of the foods they intake, pursuing a mindful eating intake would be beneficial to sustain health. For individuals who also may need to break the harmful beliefs regarding different foods, the mindful or intuitive approach to eating may work the best.
Multiple mindful eating practices have now been suggested often by nutritionists or by healthcare professionals to individuals who may be suffering from eating disorders like bulimia, anorexia, disordered eating and weight stigmas. These practices are also recommended for individuals who lack body positivity, individuals into yo-yo dieting, and those who follow a fad diet (a plan that promotes results such as fast weight loss without robust scientific evidence to support its claims). Breaking such detrimental eating patterns or thoughts is crucial, and mindful eating can be a right practice that can positively impact individual lives.
What Are the Principles of Mindful Eating?
The basic principles of mindful eating would be the following:
- Minimizing distractions when one eats, focusing more on the food while eating and by switching off any television or media or mobiles.
- Savoring the tastes and texture of the foods one is having.
- Experiencing food with all the five senses.
- Eating slowly, chewing more efficiently.
- Taking only smaller bites of food with focus.
- Being grateful or offering thankfulness or prayers right before one has the meal.
- Paying full attention to the body’s hunger cues and fullness cues through the course of the day to mindfully eat, whenever one feels hungry.
- Acknowledging feelings as well as responses to different or varied food patterns without any judgment.
How Is Intuitive Eating Similar to Mindful Eating?
Mindful eating is close to the concept of intuitive eating. Both mainly follow similarly the core ten principles:
- Rejecting the dieting mentality.
- Honoring the hunger cues.
- Making peace with the food one eats.
- Challenging the food police.
- Discovering their own food satisfaction or satiation factors.
- Feeling balanced through a satiating diet.
- Coping with the thoughts and emotions with patience and kindness.
- Respecting the body image and hunger patterns.
- Identifying bodily sensations with focus.
- Honoring health and working towards long-term health goals.
Unlike mindful eating, intuitive eating further focuses additionally upon letting go of any harmful beliefs that would be stemming from unrealistic expectations of food or dieting patterns.
Conclusion
Mindful eating primarily ensures that one pays attention to the hunger cues in the body and one consumes food without any stress or intention to diet or restrict the self in terms of food intake. It helps individuals not only be satiated with the food intake, assuring food satisfaction, but also gives insight into understanding the metabolism of the body. Whether one practices mindful or intuitive eating that are two closely knit concepts for sustaining the focus and balance towards food, it would certainly encourage a happy state of being. A balanced mental relationship that can also have a physically healthy effect on bodily metabolism, as per current nutrition research.
