5 Tips to Make Mindful Eating More Effortless

These days, it seems as though everywhere you turn someone is talking or writing about mindfulness.   We hear and read about it all the time, but what is it specifically? I choose to define it as the act of being aware of what you are thinking at any given time, instead of relying on impulses to guide actions. Simply put, it's the practice of being present.

Practicing mindfulness may sound easy enough: after all, what's easier than thinking?! We do it constantly! However, there is a difference between our random, everyday thoughts and the thoughts that we must conjure up in order to practice mindfulness. What we think about when we are being mindful is deliberate, not random; deliberation implies a certain amount of concentration, consideration and ability to be present. When we are lost in our thoughts, which most of us are at any given time, we are the furthest from present. We are thinking about any number of things, from "What's for dinner?" or "When is this report due?" to the  ore profound, like "Will I ever be good enough?" These thoughts pull us away from the present moment, and mindfulness brings us back to ourselves, so to speak. It requires us to quiet the mind and be in the moment.

For those of us who struggle with disordered eating patterns, mindfulness can be a powerful tool of discovery. Practicing it helps us make informed decisions about the food we choose to nourish our bodies; our hunger and satiety levels; and when and where to indulge in our favorite foods. Practicing mindfulness while planning, preparing and eating my meals helps me to make the healthiest decisions for my body. Ironically, this doesn't always mean saying no to "forbidden" foods, like cookies, alcohol, and pizza. Sometimes, choosing those foods IS the most healthy decision for me because it's the most pleasurable choice that will satiate me and prevent me from overindulging on something that I don't really care for later on. For me, mindful eating is about reinforcing the power of choice in what I eat. It's about me placing myself in the driver's seat and making sure that hunger, cravings, and emotions take a back seat.

Yup, we've all been this guy :-)

The following 5 tips help me practice mindful eating. Even though it remains a struggle, the more I practice these tips, the more effortless mindful eating feels:

1) Eat with others whenever possible, but when you must eat alone, try to do so without distractions like TV, reading material, and technological devices: I admit; I am guilty of plopping down in front of the TV or my iPhone to eat more often that I'd like to admit. I live alone, so it's comforting to sit down to eat while catching up on TV or scrolling through Instagram. Admittedly, however, I consume faster and eat more when I'm otherwise distracted. Subsequently, I find myself grazing for a second helping or dessert immediately after cleaning my plate because I've eaten faster than my mind can signal that I'm full. This is the antithesis of mindful eating, and eliminating all external distractions was the only thing that helped me avoid this cycle of watch-eat-watch-repeat. With nothing to distract me from the delicious meal I had prepared, I realized how much pleasure I could experience by taking my time with my food.

Watch out for the crumbs on the keyboard!

2) Eat with your non-dominant hand, and take care to put the fork down between every bite: I did not start doing this until very recently when I was forced to use my left hand because my right is injured! It's made a world of difference, though: I have no choice but to eat slower, take more breaks between bites, and savor, savor, savor. More out of annoyance at having to use my non-dominant hand than any other factor, I found myself putting the fork down between bites and taking a drink of water. This further encouraged me to analyze my hunger levels throughout the meal, and I found that I am no longer a devout member of the Clean Plate Club!

3) Eat a variety of foods--foods of various colors, textures, flavors, consistencies, etc. Expand your palette by experimenting with different seasonings: I am a firm believer that food that's good for you doesn't have to be boring--chicken breast and broccoli? No thanks! I enjoy cooking and inventing in the kitchen, and a huge part of that is experimenting with different seasonings, rubs, marinades, condiments, flavors, etc. I've certain had my share of gaffes, but I've learned how to make "healthy" dishes so enjoyable on account of not being afraid to add a bit of this or that. Food that's fun and colorful tastes better, and you can quote me on that!

4) Don't serve yourself seconds before taking several minutes to digest and consider your hunger level: I struggle with this a lot, especially when I've concocted a particularly tasty meal and want more just because it tastes good. I have to remind myself of Ms. Jill Coleman's wise words: "There's always more where that came from!" This moment is not the last chance you'll ever have to eat that food, I promise! The truth is that any food imaginable is available to us anytime we may want it. Just because something tastes good doesn't mean you should eat all of it. After all, if you always ate your favorite foods, would they still be your favorite foods? Would they still taste as good? The simple fact that you don't eat them all the time is what makes them taste so delicious. I'm not saying that you shouldn't eat more if you really want it; I'm simply saying that maybe if you pause to really think about it and momentarily distract yourself from it, you'd realize you're sated. It's empowering to  be in charge!

5) Lean into your hunger: This is another concept from Jill Coleman. She argued in a recent blog post over at Jillfit.com that many of us can no longer recognize hunger because we're either ruled by cravings or practice "hunger preemption" by eating every several hours. We have an aversion to feeling hungry, and yet we don't ever let ourselves get to the point where we feel it, so...we don't even know what we're so afraid of! What a novel concept. Jill argues that we need to get more comfortable feeling hunger and experiencing it so that we can learn to fear it less. We need to feel it because otherwise, hunger---or rather, the fear of hunger--controls us, and that's not a safe or sustainable place to be. I could not agree more with this, but admit that I am very adept at avoiding hunger. Of all these tips, I struggle with this the most. Which is why I believe it's the one on which I have to focus the most :-)

Wise words from a wise lady!

So these are five of the strategies I use to practice mindfulness. There are countless more, and I challenge you to find what works best for you. If you have any tips to share, please leave a comment! I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Have a great weekend, everyone!