Mindful eating, really?
MAY 06, 2024
Eating mindfully for diabetics means that you are using all of your physical and emotional senses to experience and enjoy the food choices you make.
Think for a moment. How many times have you wolfed down your food? Yes, wolfed or devoured greedily. It could be because you are hungry, or rushing, or is this your modus operandi? This disconnected approach to eating can leave you feeling stuffed and disconnected from the joy eating should give you.
Thanks for reading Master Your A1C! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
Subscribed
Mindful eating deserves serious thought because diabetic or not, the way you consume, enjoy, and savor your food is significant to your health and well-being.
It’s also an important component to having a successful outcome managing your diabetes because food is such an intricate part of the disease.
I want to help you think about how you eat, not just what you eat.
In this article, I will cover the importance of eating slow, engaging your senses and cultivating gratitude, with others essential subjects thrown in.
Eat Slowly
I have deliberately attempted to slow down when eating, which has greatly impacted my food enjoyment. It’s important because digestion begins in your mouth. The rule is to put your fork down between bites and chew until your food loses its consistency. Try 10 times for soft foods like mashed potatoes and for a small piece of steak up to 40 times.
A few points for eating slowly
- You will reduce your food intake
- Lose weight
- Less stress on your stomach
- Decrease heartburn
- Improved digestion
- Give your brain a chance to register fullness, it takes 20 minutes for the brain to say you are full
- Take smaller bites
- Taste, pause, and reflect on the taste
- Try sipping a bit of water between bites to cleanse your palate
How does eating this food make you feel?
This is a big deal. When I eat food with high carbohydrates, I don’t feel good. I am sluggish, weak and may have a headache. It does go away if I force myself to walk or sit on the sofa until the food is digested. What about you?
You should consider how – what you are eating is making you feel. How is your body responding to the nourishment you are feeding it? If you don’t feel good, maybe it’s your food!
Tune in to the signals of hunger and fullness and any discomfort you have with what you eat. Being attuned to the signals your body send you will empower you to make good food choices.
Are you hungry or thirsty? Do you need to eat or drink a glass of water? Paying attention to those feelings.
Engaging your senses
Mindful eating uses your five senses to appreciate your meal. Pause before eating. Enjoy the colors, textures, and aroma of your food. As you bite down, hear the delicate sound of crunch, and feel the textures as you move food around in your mouth.
What is the temperature of the food? If you didn’t make the food, can you tell which spices and herbs were used? This way of eating helps you stay present. Mindful eating.
Create a Peaceful and joyful eating space
This one I love. What about creating an environment to shape your experience, peaceful and soothing? Go about arranging your table with dishes, silverware, and glasses that make you feel special. Candles, tablecloths, and napkins can be added. Surround yourself with eating elements that delight you and make you feel good. Don’t multitask or eat around the TV.
Cultivate Gratitude
A ritual like praying to God, saying grace or voicing a thank you is a good way to express your gratitude before eating. By approaching meals with a mindset of thankfulness, you deepen your appreciation for the meal.
In many countries, gatherings and celebrations are around food, and it can be difficult to be mindful during those times. Even so, practice gratitude and savor each bite.
We need food to live, and there is God and many people to thank for our food.
Consider these:
- The farmer or worker who planted and labored to harvest the crop
- The animals who were sacrificed for our nourishment
- The weather provided perfect growing conditions
- Clean water for plant hydration
- Nutrient-rich soil
- The seeds that were cultivated over many years to produce our food
- The truck driver
- The grocery store, the stocking clerk and check out clerk
- The person who lovingly prepared your meal. Always thank and praise the cook.
Remember to be thankful that you have enough money to buy food. If you grew it, be especially thankful.
Other things you can do to ensure mindful eating are to stay hydrated and ask your family and friends to become involved. Being mindful is a good practice for everyone. Enjoy your food. Eat with your fingers, lick your fingers, and smack your lips. It’s sooo good.
Mindful eating is uncomfortable to start. You can make it a part of your life with practiced awareness and intention, like a ritual, you look forward to. There are many gifts in mindful eating, so start to explore them one by one today. Try it and let us know how it goes.
Resources:
HWB
Thanks for reading Master Your A1C! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.