March is National Nutrition Month and this year’s theme explores healthful eating by venturing beyond the food in front of you. The theme, Beyond the Table, looks at all aspects of the food we eat from grab-and-go snacks to eating and connecting with friends in the dining commons to where our food comes from.
Eating in the moment
Beyond the Table also looks at the importance of mindful eating, which is savoring your food by using all your senses and being aware of your hunger and when you are full. Mindful eating is also about expressing gratitude for your food, slowing down and enjoying your food without judgment or distractions. That may sound like a lot to digest so let’s break it down.
Mindfulness and mindful eating
Mindfulness is a practice based on Buddhism that encourages you to be fully present, embracing the moment without judgment. It is often associated with meditation, deep breathing and other relaxation techniques, and can help reduce anxiety, depression and a variety of chronic stress-related health concerns.
Mindful eating is a natural extension of mindfulness.
Savoring meals
Another aspect of mindful eating is taking time to eat, eating more slowly and enjoying every bite of food. If you look at the most recent American Time Use Study, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Americans on average spend about one hour and eight minutes each day eating and drinking. That is consistent with other surveys showing that U.S. adults spend about 20-30 minutes eating a meal. Why is that important? It takes about 20 minutes from the time you start eating for your brain to say, “Whoa, I’m starting to get full.” When people eat too fast, or are distracted, they often do not use hunger or satiety as cues to start or stop eating. The result can be overeating.
Multi-tasking to monotasking
“When we eat, we often are doing something else: we may be on our phone, our computer or watching TV. Multi-tasking while eating gets in the way of appreciating and enjoying our food," says Lilian Cheung, Ph.D, RDN, director of health promotion and communication at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s Department of Nutrition, and co-author of the book Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life with Buddhist Zen Master, Thich Nhat Hanh. "We ought to be monotasking, and that means just eating – eating mindfully,” said Cheung.
“When we do several things at a time,” said Cheung, “we don’t do any of them really well, and that includes planning meals, eating and checking our hunger and satiety.”
Slowing down
According to Lynn Rossy, Ph.D., a psychologist and author of several books on mindfulness and mindful eating including Savor Every Bite: Mindful Ways to Eat, Love your Body and Live with Joy, eating more slowly and eating mindfully has many advantages.
“We are called human beings -- not human doings -- for a reason,” said Rossy. "When we slow down and take time to just be at least several times during the day we stay more connected to ourselves. And the perfect time to be is when we are eating,” she said. According to Rossy, mindful eating happens before, during and after you eat.
She says, before you eat, ask yourself if you are even physically hungry. If not, ask yourself what you are really, really hungry for, and try to satisfy the specific hunger you’re having, which may not be for food.
“There are many different layers to our hunger. It is important to stop and ask yourself: Am I hungry, anxious, lonely, or tired? Also ask yourself if you are thirsty as thirst is often disguised as hunger,” Rossy said. “When you ask what you are hungry for, you may find it isn’t food, but a need to text or call a friend, rest or go for a walk.”
Taking a personal and global approach
Cheung says her approach to mindful eating is both personal and global.
“I want people to embrace the idea of eating for their own health and the health of the planet. Once you focus on a goal bigger than yourself, it is sometimes easier to embrace.” She says this is a moment for college students to step up and embrace plant-based eating in a big way.
This March, consider choosing food from the Rooted station at Pack Place to support mindful, planet-healthy eating with vegan and plant-forward foods.
The joy is in the journey
The purpose of mindful eating is not to lose weight, although those who adopt this style of eating may lose weight or arrive at a more sustainable weight. The intention is to help people savor the moment and enjoy eating. Mindful eating is a journey not a destination. Each day you are on a new journey. And just like traveling, it is good to enjoy the journey.
Seven ways to practice mindful eating:
- Start with silence: Some cultures encourage little or no talking at mealtimes. While this may be impractical at times, consider doing it for just one minute, while eating alone or with friends. Like deep breathing, it is a way to center yourself, bless your food and prepare for eating.
- Pay attention to hunger: Mindful eating also includes paying attention to your hunger before, during and after the meal. If you do, you are more likely to start eating when you’re hungry and stop when you are satisfied.
- Use your senses: Look at your plate and notice all the colors, shapes and textures. After you eat, ask yourself how you feel: energized or depleted and be as non-judgmental as possible. Mindful eating is different every time. Notice how your body is responding with kindness.
- Slow down – rest between bites: Americans typically eat too fast. A good way to slow down is to put your fork down between bites or try eating with chopsticks. Cut your food one bite at a time instead of all at once like a mother would do for a child.
- Chew more: Eat foods that encourage you to chew. Soft, mushy, overly soft or processed foods can leave you eating too quickly and wanting more. Choose vegetables, have a side salad and enjoy a piece of fruit – anything with a crunch.
- Avoid distracted dining: This is a big one. It is important to focus on one thing (eating) instead of multi-tasking. Set your phone aside and just eat. Try eating one or two meals a day without looking at your phone.
- Sit at the table: Give yourself a sacred time and place to eat your food. Think TPC (table, plate, chair): Eat at a table, on a plate (or OZZI Box) and in a chair. If you are eating in your dorm room or apartment, create a clutter-free place to eat.
References:
- The Mindfulness-Based Eating Solution (New Harbinger) by Lynn Rossy, PhD
- Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life (Harper One) by Thich Nhat Hanh and Lilian Cheung, DSc, RD
- Eating Mindfully: how to end eating mindlessly and enjoy a balanced relationship with food, second edition (New Harbinger), by Susan Albers, PsyD Hanger Management, Master your hunger and improve your mood, mind, and relationships, (Little, Brown Spark) by Susan Albers, PsyD
- America Time Use Survey (The Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023)
- Fung, T et al., An expanded model for mindful eating for health promotion and sustainability: issues and challenges for dietetics practice. JAND 2016; 116 (7): 1081-1086.
- O’Reilly GA et al. Mindfulness-based interventions for obesity-related eating behaviours: A literature review. Obes Rev 2014; 15 (6): 453-461. Timmerman GM, Brown A. The effect of a mindful restaurant eating intervention on weight management in women. J Nutr Ed Behav. 2012; 44 (1): 22-28
- Jordan CH et al., Mindful eating: trait and state mindfulness predict healthier eating behavior. Pers Indiv Differ. 2014; 68:107-111.
- Olson, KI, Emery CF Mindfulness and weight loss: A systemic review. Pschosom Med. 2015; 77 (1): 59-67
