VMG Diabetes, Nutrition and Endocrine Care

Mindful eating

Mindful eating is a key point of keeping on track with your nutrition goals to obtain and maintain the healthiest body possible.  It focuses on paying attention to the signals your body naturally gives for hunger and satisfaction.  Not only does it help you to develop eating habits that are better for your health, it will help you to enjoy meals, improve your sense of well-being, lose weight or prevent weight gain, and improve some of the side effects you may be experiencing from having diabetes. 

This article from www.amihungry.com (original pdf link: http://www.amihungry.com/pdf/Mindful-Eating-Cycle-for-Diabetes) explains more about they cycle of mindful eating:

Learning to eat mindfully takes time, attention and practice.  Try different strategies to find what works best for you.  Here are some tips to help make mindful eating a daily habit:

• Set a regular schedule for eating:  Some people have irregular eating habits, including skipping meals.  Such habits may cause weight gain.
• Take time to eat:  Make meals last 15-30 minutes.  Make meals an experience to enjoy instead of eating on the go.  Savor your food.  Give your body a chance to become satisfied and send that message to your brain.
• Eat at a table.  Sitting at a table with a place setting helps send your body the message that you are having a meal.
• Eat with other people:  Eating (and making) a meal with others can be an enjoyable shared experience.  Eating with others also can help in planning and scheduling regular meals that are better for your health.
• Be present when eating:  Sit at a table while having a meal, turn off screens, and simply taste the flavors and enjoy your food.

With these tips to start with and the helpful article above, we hope you're well on your way to better mindful eating.  We also hope to hear about your mindful eating tips!  Please send us a comment in the box below and let us know what tips work for you!