Benefits of mindful eating
Did we really gain weight during the pandemic? There was research that showed nearly as many people lost weight as those who have gained weight. So when you think about it, for those who HAVE gained weight, the cause is not because of the lockdown itself, but the lockdown situation might have encouraged the behavior causing the weight gain.
As for me, I gained a few pounds here and there, and noticeably, a few of my friends and family have as well. I speak for myself when I say that I blame it on my baking hobby and trying out new foods for my vlog. And then of course I sometimes crave for Filipino snacks which I order by the dozens (ang sarap kasi eh…hehe) so that doesn’t help either. But you see, there’s also the lack of outdoor activity for so long plus the trending popularity of Netflix and other streaming services which turned a lot of us into couch potatoes that added to the behavioral change in the way we eat.
And now it's so difficult to remove all those extra pounds, isn’t it?
So I’ve come up with this idea that… rather than struggle to lose weight, why don’t I just accept the new me but improve on the things I can do and have control over in order to still lead a generally healthy lifestyle.
Enter the concept of mindful eating.
OUR EATING BEHAVIOR
I’ve come across an article online that talks about one’s conscious awareness of eating and eating for a purpose. It’s called mindful eating. In this fast paced society where everybody is on the go, on their mobile devices, or always on the run, eating has sadly become a mindless act. Stress and peer pressure equally contribute to the eating behaviors that make us gain weight. We get invited to eat-all-you-can restaurants, or we purchase those buy-1-get-1-free bags of chips and binge eat them in front of the tv. And when we’re lazy, we tend to call for delivery or buy those pre-packaged meals at the grocery store that may contain even more salt, sugar or trans fat that might not be as healthy as a home-cooked meal.
IT TAKES 20 MINUTES
During the processing of food in our stomach and delivery of its nutrients to the rest of our organ systems, certain hormones are released in our body that signals our brain at a certain point to feel full. Studies have shown that it takes 20 minutes for our brains to realize that we’re full and therefore send signals that we can stop eating already. Wow! 20 minutes?! So if you’re in a hurry, or eating mindlessly, we could still be stuffing ourselves unnecessarily during those 20 minutes without knowing that our body has already had enough food. And where will all that extra calorie go? Yep, you guessed it, it will be stored as fat.
So what can we do instead?
EAT MINDFULLY
I’ll share with you a few of the things I’ve learned from that article I've read. Basically what it all comes down to is putting an effort to appreciate your food and taking time to eat with a purpose. Yes, eat with a purpose. Do you feel hungry? Then go eat. If you don’t feel hungry, there’s no reason for you to. Take time to eat and enjoy the flavors in your mouth by chewing intentionally and not because it’s routine. Minimize talking and as much as you can, eat in silence because they say that too much talking while eating also increases swallowed air that can cause bloatedness, or hiccups or even sometimes increases the chance of heartburn or other stomach upsets. So let’s allow our bodies to take time digesting the food and feel for those physical cues that tell us when we’re full.
Eating mindfully also allows us to be more conscious of our choices of food. We become more aware of our food choices and have more control of how often we eat. And if we have enough hours of sleep, we are also helping our body promote healthy digestion because there is a direct relationship between sleep and leptin, an enzyme that promotes digestion and breakdown of food.
Diet and exercise will certainly help with losing weight. But conscious and mindful eating will assist us in distinguishing physical versus emotional hunger and allow us to respond as we see fit. It’s all about our approach to what we take in and how we take in that gives us control over our eating habits that lead us to a healthier lifestyle.