Mindful Eating

Happy Friday Lunch-boxers!

I was reading through the link that Aunt Susie sent yesterday and found a good one on mindful eating:

Mindful Eating tips for Healthy Weight Loss

Pay attention while you are eating. Be aware of your environment, eat slowly, enjoy each bite – savor the smells and textures of your food. If your mind wanders, just gently remind yourself to return to focusing on your food and how it tastes and feels in your mouth.

Avoid distractions while eating. Try not to eat while working, watching TV, reading, using a computer, or driving.

Try mixing things up to force yourself to focus on the experience of eating – try using chopsticks rather than a fork, or use your utensils with your non-dominant hand.

Chew your food thoroughly. Try chewing each bite 30 times before swallowing.

Stop eating before you are full. Avoid the temptation to “clean your plate”. Yes, there are children starving in Africa, but you packing on the pounds won’t help them.

Serve yourself a smaller portion and use small plates, bowls and cups. This will make your portions appear larger. If possible leave the table as soon as you are done. The longer you sit at the table, the more you will eat. If you are hungry later you can have a small healthy snack.

Plan your meals and snacks ahead of time and don’t eat out of large bags or boxes. You will be more inclined to eat in moderation if you have thought out healthy meals and snacks in advance. You can buy or create your own small portion snacks in plastic bags or containers.
Remember to only eat when you are truly hungry.


With great Easter food right around the corner (am I the only one salivating at the thought of ham, sausage and potatoes??) I thought these would be great tips to keep in mind for the Holiday. I've always been the kind of person that does better with life changes and not diets. I don't like feeling deprived of foods, therefore I eat what I want, when I want. I do however try to make them small portions, but if it isn't a small portion, I focus on how that craving made me feel. Once you can focus on what foods your body reacts positively with, you will instinctively stay away from the bad foods.

For example, I LOVE salty foods but my body immediately swells and my fingers and toes turn into little sausages....very uncomfortable. This reaction does not keep me away from a little bit of ham on Easter, but it does keep me away from chips and also olives and a lot of chinese food, unfortunately....3 things I LOVE. Another example is the day that I had the craving for that danish and I ended up feeling like I was going to fall asleep at my keyboard by 3pm. As much as I want another danish, I have not had another one because I know I felt terrible from it.

Once you get to know your body and how it reacts, you will find that you can eat what you want, when you want it without feeling guilty about it. You may think at first that your body reacts positively to a brownie....and maybe some days it does, but if you really are aware of your body, you will notice that the brownie did nothing for you.

My advice for daily eating is to be mindful of what you eat and how your body reacts. Once you do this, you will notice that you gravitate to the foods that fulfill you, not the ones you are necessarily craving.

The tips above are great and I try to incorporate them into my daily life and it really does make a difference and most of all, makes you feel in control of your life-and that's important.

One last thing: This Easter, just be mindful of how much you are eating. You don't need to pile your plate high, you just want enough that you feel good after you're done. Start small and try to arrange your plate so you have a meat, starch and vegetable but don't overdo anything, you will feel so much better when you have finished your meal. If you are still hungry, go back for more! Holidays are to be indulged, but just make sure that you really want that second helping. It's much easier to just finish everything you put on your plate and you end up over-eating, so start small and if you are still hungry, go for a little more and a little more until you have read your body to know you are full and that you didn't over-eat. We can still indulge without going overboard. I'm going to try very hard at this....it won't be easy, but I am going to try my best-which is all any of us can do!

Have a great weekend everyong!