The Benefits of Mindful Eating

1. Slow down and listen to your body

Make meal times your priority! This is not the moment to multitask. Avoid eating in front of your computer or with your phone in your hand. Rushed eating can create gastro-intestinal issues and you have much higher chances to overeat if you eat your meal in a hurry. Indeed, it takes up to 20 minutes for your gut to signal to your brain that you’re full and reduce your sense of hunger. Your body cannot focus on digestion when it feels rushed(1), so take a couple of deep breaths and slow down. Amongst other health benefits, slowing down could potentially make you feel fuller for a longer period of time too(2). Finally, make sure you are chewing your food properly. Chewing is actually the only part of the digestive process that you can control. Chewing your food until it’s almost liquid before swallowing can support your digestion and research shows that it will help in reducing your portion sizes too(3).

2. Reclaim your dinner table

Make sure that at least once a day you have a proper sit down meal with your family, friends or colleagues. Create a no-phone zone and focus on enjoying your meal and conversation. Mealtimes after all are very social events, where we can share our stories and feel connected to one-another. Children can also benefit from regular family meals, as research shows that frequent family meals are associated with better psychosocial outcomes for children and adolescents(4).

3. Plan ahead

A day of back-to-back meetings? Busy with the kids? Set time aside in your diary for meal times in advance and don’t skip meals. Consider meal times sacred. If you only have a short lunch break, you might struggle to create healthy meals on the spot. The best way to avoid a rushed, unbalanced meal is to plan ahead.

A French study shows that meal planning could be a potential tool to offset time scarcity and therefore encourage home meal preparation, which has been linked with an improved diet quality(5). Creating a whole food based, balanced and colourful diet with a good combination of protein, fats and carbohydrates for each meal is crucial. Try cooking ahead during your weekends and make sure you create meal plans for the week. Do your shopping accordingly, so you will always have the desired ingredients at hand. Maybe invest in a slow cooker or try batch cooking. For a quick lunch I love creating nutritious buddha bowls and colourful salads. If you’re transitioning back into the office, make sure you have a home cooked meal at hand. If not, make sure you plan ahead and buy your lunch from the healthiest local take-away on your way to work. This way you won’t end up in front of a vending machine buying cookies at 3pm, because you didn’t have time to pick up lunch.