In today’s fast-paced world, mealtimes are often a rushed affair. With many distractions, whether back-to-back meetings, errands or screen time, we often don’t take enough time to sit and savour every bite of a meal. Food is more than filling; it nourishes both the mind and body, preparing you for potential threats to your immune system, giving your muscles and organs energy to help you move, speak, and think, not to mention how it makes us feel.
By slowing down and paying attention to each bite, mindful eating helps us reconnect with our meals, our health, and even our joy.
Why you’ll feel better
When practising mindfulness, we actively change our approach to our daily lives. By being mindful, we are more likely to take more time with decision-making. In particular, we take the time to identify which decision will benefit us most.
By practising mindful eating, we are more likely to make healthier choices. We start to pay attention to how our body feels before, during, and after eating. It helps us choose meals that make us feel good. This awareness can lead to a long list of benefits, which may include:
- Improved digestion: Slower eating gives your body time to digest food more efficiently
- Better portion control: Slowing down eating times gives our body time to signal when it’s full, and tuning into fullness cues helps with preventing over-eating habits
- More satisfaction: Taking the time to slowly chew foods makes even small meals feel indulgent, because we start noticing small details in flavours, smells, and textures we were too busy to notice before
- Less stress and angst: Taking the time to sit down and focus on one task, i.e. nourishing our body, can double up as a calming ritual in a busy day
- Greater gratitude: Appreciating our meals deepens the connection between what and how we eat
How to savour every bite
Practising mindfulness involves a series of exercises and meditations. Some of which may be overwhelming for beginners. But there are simple ways to get started, and we’ve created a beginner-friendly guide to get you started:
- Eat more slowly (i.e. chew more) and avoid rushing mealtimes
- Consider setting a specific time aside for mealtimes
- Chew thoroughly before swallowing (this helps your body digest food more efficiently)
- Eliminate distractions by turning off all screens (like the TV, computer, tablet, and phone)
- Eat in silence, or with natural ambience (listen to the birds in your garden, or the hustle and bustle of the office park)
- Focus on how the food is making you feel (take note of any patterns you pick up on)
- Stop eating when you feel full
- Ask yourself why you’re eating, whether you’re truly hungry, and whether the food you’re choosing is nutritious
- Plate your food instead of eating it from its packaging
- Eat in a designated space, like the kitchen or dining room table, or your work breakroom, instead of in front of the TV or computer
Once you begin your mindfulness journey, and you feel confident when practising the techniques, it will become easier and more fulfilling. Start with a few of the above points, and when you’re ready, add to them. Consider choosing one meal per day to start implementing these points.
Savour every bite
Mindful eating isn’t about restriction or following set rules; it’s about choosing presence over autopilot. By savouring each bite, you’ll find yourself enjoying food more fully, while giving your body the space to thrive.
