To answer the question “does mindful eating work,” let’s first define it.
Mindful eating:
- gets you back inside your body, instead of following outside advice on the internet telling you what’s best for your body.
- teaches you to slow down and notice the taste, texture and aroma of food. Why is this important? Because bringing attention to your eating experiences is a key piece to feeling satisfied.
- guides you to sense which foods make you feel your best, as every body is different.
- supports you in enjoying and savoring your food, versus eating tasteless “diet” foods.
- teaches you to honor your unique hunger (energy) needs, which change every day. Your body thrives on rhythmically being nourished throughout the day. So trying to ignore physical hunger or skip meals is stressful on your body.
- encourages you to bring relaxation and presence to your plate to support your digestive health.
- supports a healthier relationship with food and your body.
How mindful eating works
You can practice mindful eating, by following the BASICS created by Lynn Rossey, author of Savor Every Bite.
B: Breathe and belly check before you eat.
A: Assess your food.
S: Slow down.
I: Investigate your hunger throughout the meal.
C: Chew your food thoroughly.
S: Savor your food.
But does mindful eating really work?
You have to be clear on what “work” means.
Carrie Dennett, registered dietitian, warns us in a Seattle Times article that mindful eating has been co-opted by diet culture for weight loss. Mindful eating isn’t about restriction, controlling yourself, being hyper-vigilant about your eating, or feeling ashamed of making certain food choices.
It’s about getting back inside your body.
It’s a practice of deep listening.
The actual intended benefit of practicing mindful eating is to be in touch with your body’s unique needs.
So does mindful eating work?
Yes, if you’re practicing mindful eating as another layer of your mindfulness practice. ♡ Tanya
Curious about the difference between mindful eating and Intuitive Eating?
Read The Ten Benefits of Intuitive Eating on my blog.