How do you eat when you incorporate physical activity?

In our rushed lives, we do not often think about the following:

• When we eat 
• What we eat
• Why we eat
• How we eat

The idea behind mindful eating:

If we take the time to pay attention to our eating behaviors, we can control our weight more effectively by listening to the signal(s) that our body is sending each of us; commonly the signals of hunger and fullness. 

Understanding these signals can teach each of us to:

• Become more aware of the positive, nurturing opportunities created by food preparation and consumption
• Choose food that pleases you, nourishes your body and uses all your senses to explore, savor and taste
• Acknowledge your responses to food—likes, neutral or dislikes—without judgment.
• Let your awareness of physical hunger and satiety guide your decisions to start and stop eating. (Reproduced with permission from The Center of Mindful Eating© www.tcme.org.)

Engaging in physical activity may make many people feel free to eat as much as they like. I hear this statement quite often: “I know I can burn off the extra calories.” Unfortunately, this mindset turns eating into a mindless activity that encourages overconsumption; this mindset pays little attention to focusing on foods that will fuel the body for physical activity.

Remember to focus on the quality of your diet—foods and nutrients that energize the body and mind—not the quantity of calories they consume.

Practical Tips for Mindful Eating:

Wait Till Your Stomach is Empty or Almost Empty

• The first step to mindful eating is to eat only when your stomach is (almost) empty, or when you have a slight sense of hunger. This tends to be about 2-3 hours after the last time you eat something.

Mind Your Environment

When mealtime arrives, it’s important to dedicate all your attention to the food. So:

• Sit down, preferably at a table with a nice arrangement that appeals to you visually.
• Remove external distractions: no television, phone, tablet or computer.

Remember, it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to realize that your body is being fed. So, slow down. Wait until the food enters your stomach before you take the next bite; this will slow the pace of your eating and can prevent heartburn, acid reflux, stomachaches and some intestinal issues. More tips:

• Really chew “ about 15-30 times per mouthful.
• Stop eating when you feel about two-thirds full. This will help you tune in to your body’s satiety signals. Because you’ve been enjoying your food, you’ll start feeling full more quickly.
• Ask yourself why before you eat that second helping: Is it hunger or habit?

Remember, mindful eating takes practice. Your mind will start to wander so you constantly need to pause and refocus.  The practice of mindful eating will help reinforce and remind us how powerful the mind/body connection really is, and that the practice of mindful eating can improve your physical and mental health and overall well-being.  If you are a client of mine, you have heard me speak of the mind/muscle connection within your exercise; now we are applying it to your nutrition.

Zeke Samples, IFA, CSN, CPR, IDEA

Surreal Body Solutions, LLC

803.322.7649

www.SurrealBodySolutions.com 

& contributing health and exercise author

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