Mindful (Tr)eating: It's no trick!
Trimarni
Happy Halloween!!
Does the thought or sight of candy leave you anxious, worried or guilty?
To fully enjoy what you eat, you need to be present and in the moment. This is where mindfulness comes in handy. Mindful eating takes practice but you can learn a lot about your emotions, food choices and break some bad habits.
Mindful eating is eating with intention, awareness and pleasure. Because most treats or indulgences are not rich in nutrients, we eat them for pleasure or enjoyment. The key word here is enjoy. I'm here to tell you that you can still eat a healthy and nutritious diet with sweets and treats. When you eat what you love, you should also feel good about what you eat. This will help you feel more satisfied with your food selections so you don't overindulge. You will learn how to slow down and savor your food.
To help you get started, I’m going to walk you through a mindful chocolate eating exercise. This was taught to me during dietetic internship during one of my rotations. With an overload of Halloween candy at your house or office, now is the perfect time to learn how to indulge more mindfully.
The ultimate goal is to eat less mindlessly and to fully enjoy the experience of indulging - without going overboard.
Through this exericse, you get to identify what treats bring you joy and satisfaction and what treats you want to pass on because, well they don't make you happy. When you treat yourself, be selective. You want to indulge in foods that are truly satisfying. If something causes you a stomach ache or you just don’t care for it, don’t eat it. Say NO thank you.
The important thing to remember is that there is no right or wrong way to do this exercise. Enjoy (and don't forget to yum!)