I’ve gotten a lot of feedback and requests to breakdown the black-and-white guidelines of conscious or mindful eating – so I thought I’d do so before continuing on (as I tend to do…) so that you’re all caught up to speed. Fairly basic and straight-foward, here is the skinny on what this whole blog aims and hopes to shed some light on:

Emotional Eating is…

• quick and sudden. Within 1-2 minutes, you can gobble up an entire meal and then some without even tasting the real essence of food!
• triggered by a certain feeling or situation. For example, your boss has yelled at you or you are in a fight with your partner/spouse.
• consists of overeating the wrong types of foods. Symptoms such as bloating and feelings of guilt often accompany the food binge.
• absent minded and unconscious. For example, you realize you just ate an entire bag of chips – after the fact!

Mindful Eating is…

• slow and gradual. You enjoy and are aware of every element of your food including taste, colour, texture, and flavour.
• in response to true signs of hunger.
• never results in feelings of guilt. Following a meal or snack, there is a feeling of being satisfied, not stuffed.
• knowing exactly how much food you have consumed, and when you’ve had enough!

More Tips for Mindful Eating:

• DO take small sips of water between each bite (but don’t overdo it with beverages during meals; doing so will dilute necessary enzymes, and create digestive upset!)
• DON’T take the entire bag or container of food with you (no, really.) Unless, you’ve got your heart and mind set on grazing and finishing it, tt’s better to dish out the amount or serving size you would like to eat in a small dish or bowl instead.
• DO use your knife, fork, and spoon while eating; they will slow you down – this is the point! Remember to take breaths between bites and chew your food really well!
• DON’T keep overly sugary or fatty snack foods in the house. If the temptation is there, you will likely give in to it during times of stress – !!!
• DO play the “name it” game. While sitting down for a meal, pick 1 or 2 things that you are really enjoying about your food. Is it the colour of the strawberry? The crunch of the walnut? This will slow down your eating and snap you back into awareness and the present moment.
• DO try to make your meals last a minimum of 20 minutes. It takes 20 minutes for the stretch receptors in yoru stomach to say to your brain, “Hey, stop eating! I’m full!”
• DO invest in chewable vitamin C. When you are experiencing the urge to grab and gobble, pop 2 of them into your mouth to slow down and curb cravings.
• DON’T skip meals! Doing so will lead to overeating when you’re finally able to have a meal or snack.
• DON’T eat until you are uncomfortably full (i.e. until your pants feel more than snug, and you’re undoing that belt and top button!) Eat until you are approximately 80% full.
• DO allow yourself to get hungry and feel you stomach grumble! It is important to be able to identify real hunger versus eating merely out of boredom, or eating according to the clock (or someone else’s!)
• DO talk to a friend or a trusted family member about the issues you are having with food. There are also wonderful psychologists, counselors, and coaches who specialize in this field and be of great value!

Believe me – I KNOW – “…in a perfect world”, right?! …Now that the rules are outlined clearly, what do you feel is holding you, a friend, or loved one back from being fully aware, happy, and healthy (in all areas) when it comes to food and eating?