Mindful Eating

Contributed by Nur Azeema binti Askan, Clinical Psychologist, Kinder Minds Therapy.

What does mindful eating mean?

Mindfulness is a popular term that is frequently used in our everyday language. It involves intentionally paying attention to our surroundings without judgment. Similarly, mindful eating involves paying attention to the experience of eating by bringing awareness to the food and our responses to it. 

It means being aware of why, what, when, where, and how you eat, using all of your senses. In other words, it involves noticing your feelings and bodily sensations before, during, and after the eating experience. It is not a type of diet and is not designed to help people lose weight. Instead, it is about forming a different mindset around food. 

Mindful eating has been studied for its potential benefits, including improving enjoyment of the eating experience (with or without company), reducing overeating and cravings, preventing unwanted weight gain related to overconsumption, supporting digestion, and enhancing our psychological relationship with food. This is done by helping us become more aware of our hunger and fullness cues and respond to them appropriately. It can also help us notice how different foods and eating experiences affect our bodies and emotions.

What does mindless eating look like?

Mindless eating can look like eating quickly, eating while being distracted such as while watching a movie, eating to the point of being overly full, and forgetting what you ate afterwards. When we are distracted while eating, we may miss our body’s hunger and fullness cues. This can make it difficult to notice how much we have eaten or how satisfied we feel. 

Research has also suggested that the ability to consciously recall what we had for lunch in detail, not necessarily the amount of food we ate, may be associated with a reduced tendency to snack later in the day. This shows the importance of simply being more aware of our eating experiences.

Practicing mindful eating

Before eating, take a moment to pay attention to the appearance, texture, and scent of your food. If you can hold the food in your hand, notice its weight. Try having a beginner’s mind and look at the food as though you’re seeing it for the first time. Examine its surface, ridges, shape, colours, and other details. Notice what thoughts or feelings come up when you look at the food. 

Then, slowly with awareness, place the food in your mouth. Before chewing, notice what you are experiencing. What does the food feel like in your mouth? Do you salivate? 

Then, try to chew your food thoroughly. Pay attention to the taste, flavours, aromas, sensations, and sounds of your food. How does it feel in your mouth as you chew? Are there any particular thoughts that come up? Do you feel happy, satisfied, or nostalgic? Chew the food until it is well broken down before you swallow. 

After swallowing, pause and notice any changes in your body. Do you feel more energised now compared to before you ate? Do you feel nauseous?  Do you notice any changes in your level of hunger or fullness?

It doesn’t matter what you feel or experience when eating. Simply try to be aware of these sensory experiences without judging them. The most important part of mindful eating is the intention to be aware of various aspects of the eating experience, including sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste of the food. 

Another main component of mindful eating is consistent practice. If it sounds a bit too much to practice every day, you can always start with small steps. You can simply start by bringing your attention to one or two aspects of your food. You can also start by putting away your phone for the first few minutes of a meal. Perhaps begin by practicing several times a week before gradually making it into a daily habit. There is no need to do this perfectly. We’re looking for progress, not perfection. 

A luxury to many

Practicing mindful eating can be challenging due to the nature of modern life. It is full of distractions, heavier responsibilities, rising expectations, and hectic schedules. All of these can make us more likely to devalue the importance of eating mindfully. After all, not everyone has the time or circumstances to slow down and properly enjoy their meals while attending to other daily tasks and going through a fast-paced routine. Sometimes, we eat while working, travelling, caring for others, or rushing to our next responsibility, and that’s okay.

Mindful eating does not mean that every meal has to become a mindfulness exercise. Instead, once in a while, try taking some time to be more intentional about your eating experience. Perhaps by implementing some aspects of mindful eating, you can reframe your relationship with food and eating. You may not notice the change immediately, but in the long run, you might slowly notice some changes in your eating habits. You may begin to notice your eating patterns more clearly, recognise your body’s cues and genuinely enjoy your mealtimes.