10 things you can do this week to eat more mindfully
Simple Habits to Bring More Awareness to Your Meals without changing a thing!
Have you ever stopped to think about the way you eat? Not just what you're eating, but how you engage with your food and body during meals? In a world where we’re often rushing through life, eating on the go, or distracted by our screens, it can be easy to lose touch with the actual experience of eating. That’s where mindful eating comes in.
Mindful eating isn’t about following a strict diet or restricting yourself from foods you enjoy. Instead, it’s about bringing awareness and curiosity to the entire process of eating—tuning into your body’s cues, savoring the flavors, and truly enjoying your food. It’s a practice that can help you feel more connected to your body, improve digestion, and even transform your relationship with food over time.
Here are a few simple yet powerful mindful eating practices to try. Remember, you don’t have to implement them all at once. Start small and notice how these changes make you feel:
1. Take One Intentional Big Deep Breath Before Every Meal
Before you dive into your meal, pause for a moment. Take a deep breath, inhaling slowly through your nose and exhaling through your mouth. This simple practice helps you center yourself and brings your awareness to the present moment. It also helps activate your parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for rest and digestion—setting the stage for your body to properly digest and absorb nutrients.
2. Notice Any Patterns in Your Cravings
Are there certain times of the day when you crave specific foods? Maybe you always want something sweet in the afternoon or salty snacks late at night. Take note of these patterns without judgment. Are these cravings linked to your emotions, your energy levels, or even your stress? By observing your cravings, you can better understand what your body might be asking for and make more intentional choices around food.
3. Drink Water Between Meals
Staying hydrated is essential for your overall well-being, and it can also play a key role in mindful eating. Drinking water between meals helps keep you hydrated without interfering with digestion. Plus, sometimes what we perceive as hunger might actually be thirst. So, before you reach for a snack, try sipping some water first and see how your body responds.
4. Rate Your Hunger on a 1-10 Scale Before Every Meal
Before starting a meal, take a moment to assess your hunger level. Are you ravenous, mildly hungry, or just eating out of habit? By rating your hunger on a scale of 1-10, you can begin to recognize when you’re truly hungry and when you might be eating for other reasons. Over time, this can help you better align your eating habits with your body’s actual needs.
5. Put Your Fork Down Between Bites
This one might sound simple, but it’s incredibly effective. Between each bite, put your fork down and take a breath. Chew slowly, savor the flavors, and notice the textures of your food. This practice helps prevent overeating, as it allows you to better recognize when you’re starting to feel full. It also enhances your enjoyment of the meal, making each bite more satisfying.
6. Check-in With Your Body Halfway Through Each Meal
At the halfway point of your meal, pause and ask yourself how you’re feeling. Are you still hungry? How is your energy level? Checking in with your body can help you become more attuned to its signals, preventing overeating and promoting a sense of satisfaction. If you notice that you’re no longer hungry, consider saving the rest of your meal for later.
7. Notice What Foods Keep You Fuller for Longer
Pay attention to how different foods make you feel after eating. Some foods may keep you fuller for hours, while others leave you feeling hungry shortly after. Start noting which types of meals provide you with lasting energy and satisfaction. This awareness can help guide your future food choices and lead to more nourishing, balanced meals.
8. Notice What Foods Don’t Keep You Satisfied
On the flip side, it’s just as important to notice which foods don’t keep you satisfied. Perhaps you feel sluggish or hungry again soon after eating certain snacks or meals. Use this information to inform your eating habits without feeling guilty. It’s not about labeling foods as “good” or “bad,” but rather understanding how they make you feel.
9. Express Gratitude for Your Food Before Each Meal
Take a moment before each meal to express gratitude for your food. This can be as simple as acknowledging the time and effort it took to prepare the meal, or thinking about where the food came from and the nourishment it will provide your body. Cultivating gratitude shifts your mindset and fosters a more positive, mindful relationship with food.
10. Bring Awareness to Your Stress
Stress can significantly impact the way we eat. When we’re stressed, we might eat mindlessly or turn to food for comfort. Bringing awareness to your stress levels before and during meals can help you understand the role stress plays in your eating habits. If you notice that you’re feeling particularly stressed, consider taking a few deep breaths or engaging in a relaxation technique before eating.
So, Which One Can You Commit To?
Mindful eating starts with curiosity and awareness. You don’t have to change everything—or anything—overnight to begin practicing mindful eating. Just by heightening your mindfulness around food, you’ll start to notice shifts in your relationship with it.
The key is to start small. Pick one of the practices above that resonates with you and give it a try. Once you begin to incorporate these habits, the magic starts ✨
Will you give one of these a try? Let me know which mindful eating practice you’re committing to today!
