5 Beginner Steps to Start Practicing Mindful Eating
Mindful eating is similar to intuitive eating in many ways. It encourages you as an individual to focus on your own experience with food, to shed food rules, and to eat without a goal of weight loss. It expands on the idea of mindfulness from Zen Buddhism to take care of yourself and gain awareness of your eating experience.
Here are 5 beginner steps to start practicing mindful eating:
Prepare yourself and your space.
- Put distractions away.
- Give yourself physical and mental space to eat.
- Tune into hunger/fullness cues before your meal.
Tune in to your sensations
- Approach your food with nonjudgmental curiosity.
- Use all 5 senses (taste, smell, sight, sound, and texture)
- Maintain body awareness
Keep an open mind
- Approach your meal with a beginner's mind
- Set aside internal food labels and prior experiences
- Use each eating experience as "information collecting"
Stay present
- Allow yourself to experience it moment-by-moment
- Set aside food rules, along with any goal of weight loss.
- Continue to check back in with body including hunger/fullness cues
Reflect
- Ask yourself "how did that food make me and my body feel?"
- Examine your connection with your mind and body. What level is your fullness at now?
- Remain curious about your awareness about this process and acceptance of what you're learning
PMID: 28848310
