Mindful Eating For Better Mental Health: Nourishing Body And Mind

Mindful eating is the practice of slowing down and paying full attention to the experience of eating. By savoring each bite, you can start to listen to your body’s cues when it’s full and hungry. Mindful eating can help to cultivate a more balanced and positive relationship with food, nourishing your body and mind. But is mindful eating difficult? And what does it actually mean? Let’s dive in. 

What Is Mindful Eating?

Mindfulness is a term you likely come across often; it’s become a part of everyday language. Whereas mindfulness is the overall mental state of being fully present in the moment, mindful eating is the specific application of mindfulness to the act of eating. 

Mindful eating is about having an awareness of your feelings, thoughts, physical sensations, and urges to eat. Paying attention to your hunger and fullness cues encourages you to be fully present while eating. 

The goal of mindful eating is to gradually develop a healthier relationship with food and be present, which could potentially help with weight management, emotional eating, and overall enjoyment of food. 

What Is The Link Between Mental Health And Mindful Eating?

Emotional eating can be caused by a number of factors, with stress being a prominent one. People may turn to food for comfort or to cope with negative emotions during stressful times. An increasing number of studies have shown that emotional eating predicts subsequent weight gain. 

Emotional eating can be problematic for a few reasons: 

• Unhealthy food choices: When stressed or overwhelmed, it’s easy to reach for quick and comforting food high in sugar, calories, and unhealthy fats. 
• Overeating: Mindful eating typically goes out the window during emotional eating, making it much easier to overeat as you’re not typically paying attention to fullness cues. 
• The cycle continues: Emotional eating doesn’t address the underlying issue; it’s a temporary comfort fix that can create a cycle of emotional eating and negativity. 

Mental health and mindful eating are closely linked and influence one another. Mindful eating benefits mental health by encouraging individuals to be in the moment and slow down. It can also help to disrupt unhealthy eating patterns and promote a more balanced and intuitive approach to food. On the flip side, stress and anxiety can trigger emotional eating. Your mental health can influence your motivation to prepare healthy meals and choose healthy food. 

Overall, mindful eating can foster a healthier relationship with food, nourishing the body and mind. At the same time, addressing mental health concerns and looking after your mental well-being can create a more supportive environment for practicing mindful eating. 

What Are The Benefits Of Mindful Eating For Mental Health?

Mindful eating can help to cultivate a more positive and conscious relationship with food, supporting your mental well-being. 

Promote a Mindfulness Practice 

Mindful eating encourages a non-judgemental attitude to yourself and your eating habits. It can help you become aware of how you feel in the moment and focus on your body’s sensations. Tapping into mindfulness techniques can help slow the mind and provide a much-needed pause during a busy day. 

Encourage Positive Body Image 

Mindful eating can help you connect more with your body’s natural cues of fullness and hunger and develop a more accepting relationship with food. It promotes acceptance over restriction and encourages a nonjudgmental approach to food. Research suggests that high levels of self-compassion are associated with those who eat in a mindful way, highlighting a positive association between mindful eating and body esteem. 

Increase Enjoyment Of Food 

One review of over 60 studies found that mindfulness and mindful eating improved eating behaviors, such as slowing down how fast you eat, greater control over eating, and being aware of feeling full. 

Instead of scrolling through your phone while you eat, put the distractions away. This can help you to fully engage with your food and enjoy the experience as a whole. 

Improve Emotional Regulation 

Many people use food as a coping mechanism for negative emotions like anxiety, stress, or sadness. Mindful eating can help you to become aware of this pattern of behavior and disrupt the cycle of emotional eating. By recognizing and understanding emotional eating, you can start to develop healthier coping strategies for dealing with difficult emotions. This could include physical exercise, journaling, or speaking with a therapist who can teach you healthier coping strategies. 

How Do I Practice Mindful Eating? 

There is no right or wrong way to eat mindfully. It’s a journey that takes time to develop as you build awareness and a positive relationship with food. Like any mindfulness practice, the core principle of mindful eating is about cultivating awareness of your body’s thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations in the present moment. Mindful eating isn’t about sticking to a perfectly healthy diet 100% of the time; it’s about self-compassion and being present when you eat. 

Here are some tips to start your own mindful eating practices: 

• Slow down and savor each bite
• Ditch the distractions 
• Find a peaceful, distraction-free zone for meals 
• Don’t rush your meals 
• Eat when you are hungry and stop when you’re comfortably full 
• Start small and focus on one mindful meal a day 
• Focus on the experience of eating, and notice how you feel without judgment 
• With every bite, think about how it feels 
• Continue eating slowly 

Are There Any Apps Or Resources To Help Me Practice Mindful Eating?

Apps and online resources are a great place to start when trying to eat more mindfully. Popular options include: 

• Insight Timer: This app has lots of meditations, including many focused on mindful eating. 
• MyPlate: A good USDA resource for learning about healthy eating and portion control. Option to download the MyPlate app to start building healthy eating habits. 
• Headspace: The popular mindfulness app contains a mindful eating plan to get started. 

While it’s great to slow down and fully experience your food, a busy lifestyle and limited time to eat mean that you sometimes have to eat on the go. But even if you can’t stick to mindfully eating as much as you would like, you can take a few moments to focus on the present moment. There’s no pressure to be perfect all the time. 

How A Mindfulness Practice Influences Mental Well-Being

While mindful eating can help you to be more present with your eating experience, it’s not a standalone solution for everything: 

• Underlying Medical Conditions: If you have a medical condition that impacts your eating habits or relationship with food, it’s crucial to speak with your doctor, as certain conditions may require specific dietary plans. 
• Eating Disorders: While mindful eating may be a helpful tool during recovery, it can’t replace therapy and medical support for individuals struggling with eating disorders. 

Over time, mindful eating can go beyond the plate as you cultivate an awareness that helps you stay present. By developing a more mindful approach to food, you can apply a more mindful approach to other aspects of your life. Learning to stay present and practice mindfulness helps promote better emotional regulation, appreciation of the present moment, and managing stress. 

If you’re feeling overwhelmed or unsure where to start, speaking to a therapist can be a good first step towards improved mental well-being. Book an appointment online, or call one of our offices in LA, NYC, and throughout the country.