Be a happy and healthy eater

Weekend is getaway time with our family, friends or colleagues. Some people think after doing strenuous workouts and crash dieting it’s time to relax over the weekend and relaxing means literally binging on outside food. More often than not, the thought process is –‘its only today so let me indulge…..I will make up for this binging over the week by sipping a meal or two’.

When Monday arrives, they are guilty of having indulged over the weekend. One needs to stop and notice these chain of events. There has to be a change in the behavior. Individuals’ need to realize that indulging in binge eating for two days and then feeling guilty and trying to rectify the situation does not work.

Hence it is said that ‘Mindful Eating’ is a must and the best solution. Mindful eating teaches us to simply observe thoughts, feelings and cravings for food. It enable us to change our behavior while we maintain our sanity and happiness

Here are Some Mindful eating tips-–

• Multi-tasking while eating or watching television while eating always causes distraction or causes hurried eating. So switch off your phone, TV and Computer before eating.
• Preferably adopt the cross legged posture Or sit At your usual dining place.
• Try to eat sitting cross legged. You can do this even while sitting on a chair. Sitting cross legged on the floor and eating meals is an age old technique from our grandma’s days. (This helps to blood flow to the stomach area)
• Calm your mind and body then start eating your meal. When your mind is calm and composed, you release the right amount of digestive juices which gives you better digestion.
• If you are stressed or guilty while eating -stress hormone called cortisol is released which lowers our metabolic rate, prevent fat burning and help convert food to fat.
• Take deep breath, calm yourself and get settled before eating.

While Eating-

• Don’t be in a rush while eating and try to get up fast.
• Start eating (preferably with your hands) and eat slowly.
• Chew your food slowly
• Use your entire mouth and do not just chew from 1 side of your Jaw.
• While you still have food in your mouth don’t pick up another morsel from your plate.
• Keeping food ready in your hands or in a spoon means you are eating fast and will ultimately this could lead to overeating.
• Eat with your senses and think about how the food is nourishing you from within.
• Savor every bit of what you eat, slowly and mindfully and you will naturally find your threshold. So be silence and attentive while you eat.
• Prepare Food in smaller quantity. If number of People are less it helps to prepare lesser quantity and better by retaining nutrient value.
• Always eat food that is freshly prepared. One should consume food within 3 hours of Cooking.
• Don’t deep freeze cooked food.
• Try eating with your non-dominant hand. If you’re a righty, hold your fork in your left hand when lifting food to your mouth whenever you eat outside in restaurant or party
• Whenever you get the craving for a sweet – before opening the fridge or cabinet for the same, take a deep breath and ask yourself, “Am I really hungry?” Do something else, like reading or going on a short walk as that will help you to avoid any emotional extra eating under stress.

Let’s start to enjoy eating food rather than think of it as a task to complete. Remind the body of its own intelligence and its ability to self-regulate for you! Cultivate a sustainable, balanced and healthy approach to the way we eat, the way we look, and the way we live.