Mindful eating is the deliberate action of paying attention to your food without judgment.

This approach to eating is to focus on your sensual awareness and your food experience. This includes accepting your feelings, thoughts and your body’s sensations around meals and snacks, and acting calmly and thoughtfully without judgment of your relationship with food.

This approach to eating does not pay attention to calories, carbohydrates, fats or protein. The intention of this type of eating is not to focus on weight loss, but rather encourage being present and savoring the experience of eating.

When eating mindfully:

• Start with your shopping list
• Begin mealtime with an appetite, not extremely hungry
• Begin with small portions
• Appreciate the meal and express gratitude
• Involve each of your senses with the meal.

Eating mindfully does require a true commitment to behavior change.

Food choices should be centered around fruits, vegetables, whole grains, seeds, nuts and vegetable oils.

These concepts can be applied to any foods, even junk foods. Truly paying attention to the foods you eat can lead to making healthier choices. Being more mindful during mealtime can help you avoid indulging.

Be Attentive

Be attentive during each step in the process, including buying and preparing food.

When eating:

• Take small bites
• Chew foods fully
• Enjoy the meal slowly
• Engage in conversation with those around you only after a few minutes of silently eating and engaging with the meal

Weight loss can be a result for individuals who adopt this lifestyle of eating. Typical diets focus on rules and measuring specific outcomes, which can be difficult to sustain because of outside stressors or pressures.

Mindful eating focuses on the process rather than the outcome. With this approach, you are more likely to select foods that are more healthful, enjoy the experience of eating and eat less.

Important Attitudes

• No judgment. Set aside former notions of the food and eat without judgment.
• Patience. Don’t rush through the eating process. Eat slowly and deliberately and enjoy the full experience.
• Have a beginner’s mind. Eat the food as if it was the first time. Take a bite, feeling the food, smelling it and taking in the experience.
• Incorporate more self-trust in the process.
• Resist the urge to strive. Unlike the diet culture, no outcomes are being measured. There is nothing to strive for or expect.
• Accept whatever comes up when eating. Be present despite those experiences.
• Let go of any expectations.

Being mindful goes beyond eating. You should also be mindful in every aspect of your life. In addition to eating mindfully, try mindful breathing, meditation, yoga and walks. Combining these practices can help you develop a more mindful approach to life.