Mindful Eating Lauren Kroeger, RD

Healthy Relationship with Food Focus your mindset on what you CAN have instead of what you CAN’T There is a place for all foods in a healthy diet Healthy Relationship with Food

Observe: Listen to your body’s cues to tell you if you are hungry, thirsty, or full. Is your belly rumbling? Do you feel you have low energy? Are you truly hungry or are you just bored? In-the-Movement: Be fully present. Turn of the TV and sit down as a family. No Gameboys, Nintendos, iPads at the table. When you eat, just eat. You can have conversation with your family, maybe even talk about the healthy foods you are eating. Savor: Notice texture, smell, flavor. Is it crunchy, sweet, salty, smooth spicy. Aware: Are you tasting vs. mindless munching. Nonjudgement: Notice when/if guilt pops into your head. Do not tell others “You should not be eating that…”. Every food as a place in the diet. We must adopt a healthy relationship with food.

Not mindful behaviors

Mindful Eating Observe Be in the moment Savor Be aware More about how you eat than what you eat Observe Be in the moment Savor Be aware Be nonjudgmental Observe: Listen to your body’s cues to tell you if you are hungry, thirsty, or full. Is your belly rumbling? Do you feel you have low energy? Are you truly hungry or are you just bored? In-the-Moment: Be fully present. Turn of the TV and sit down as a family. No Gameboys, Nintendos, iPads at the table. When you eat, just eat. You can have conversation with your family, maybe even talk about the healthy foods you are eating. Savor: Notice texture, smell, flavor. Is it crunchy, sweet, salty, smooth spicy. Aware: Are you tasting vs. mindless munching. Nonjudgement: Notice when/if guilt pops into your head. Do not tell others “You should not be eating that…”. Every food as a place in the diet. We must adopt a healthy relationship with food. Mindfulness is deliberately paying attention, non-judgementally, in the present moment.

Mindfulness encompasses both internal and external environments

Mindfulness cultivates the possibility of freeing yourself of reactive, habitual patterns of thinking, feeling, and acting

Mindfulness promotes balance, choice, wisdom, and acceptance of what is

Nourishment vs. Enjoyment Eat with Intention and Attention What do I have? What do I need? What do I want? Listen to your body’s natural cues Eat what you love. Don’t ruin your favorite foods with guilt; deprivation and shame are powerful emotional triggers for overeating. Remind yourself that all foods can fit into a healthy diet when you balance eating for enjoyment with eating for nourishment. Set an intention for eating. Know why you’re eating—nutrition, fuel, pleasure, social connection, tradition—so your choices will reflect that intention. Before you start eating, ask yourself, “How do I want to feel when I’m finished?” Love what you eat. Then sit down to eat—even if it’s just a holiday cookie. Savor each bite mindfully, noticing the appearance, aromas, textures and flavors of your food. Stay conscious of how your body feels as you eat so you’ll feel great when you’re done. “We need to be coming back to ourselves and say: Does my body need this? Why am I eating this? Is this just because I’m so sad or stressed out?”

Types of eating behaviors Overeating Restrictive eating Instinctive or Intuitive eating

Overeating Why? Triggered When? External or emotional cues What? Comfort foods How? Mindlessly, quickly, secretly How much? Until food is gone

Restrictive Eating When? According to rules Why? Rules When? According to rules What? “Good” or “Allowed” foods How? Rigidly How Much? Allowed amount

Instinctive or Intuitive Eating Why? Fuel When? The body lets me know  “Cues” What? Whatever they want How? Intentionally How much? Enough to satisfy hunger

Summary Learn to have a healthy relationship with food Avoid a negative attitude toward food Observe your body’s cues View food as nourishment vs. enjoyment Recognize what type of eater your are, and avoid destructive behaviors Be an instinctive or intuitive eater!