by Sara Alamdari
What does it mean to eat mindfully? Is coming home after a long day and snacking on a bag of chips while watching your favorite show eating mindfully or mind FULL? Mindful eating is simply being present when you eat by paying attention to your food and how it makes you feel. That means, sitting at a table and being aware of how much you’re eating rather than mindlessly snacking on the couch. We often use food as a way to recover from a long day, but that may develop into unhealthy eating habits. One way you can start practicing mindful eating is by designating one place in your home where you will have every meal or snack, such as the dining table. This rule narrows down the places in your home that you can eat mindlessly. And whenever you sit down to eat, just eat! Put away the phone, turn off the TV, and focus on enjoying the meal. This will help you pay attention to what you’re eating and how much you’re eating. It also helps eliminate some of the activities you may unknowingly associate with food, such as watching TV with your favorite snack. Try mindful eating and let us know how if it helps you make more nutritious choices – and remember, no more eating on the couch!
Try out the following tips for being mindful while eating:
A very special THANK YOU to the USC Good Neighbors Campaign for supporting FEAST!