Nutrition Edition: Mindful Eating

Have you ever heard of mindful eating? All it is is simply putting all our senses to work when we eat. It means paying full attention. Noticing when you're hungry or full, and understanding your thoughts and feelings toward food.

Mindful eating is not a diet. It doesn't tell you what to avoid, when to eat, or how much. It helps you focus on how you eat. It helps create a calm, intentional relationship with food that honors what your body needs.

Mindful eating helps activate your "Rest and digest" mode. Have you ever noticed when you eat on the go, or super quickly, your stomach gets upset or you gas up? Or you feel hungry again in about 15 minutes? That's the "Fight or Flight" mode. Rest and Digest allows you to enjoy your food and stay full longer. Everything works better when you are present and aware. Even eating.

So, what are some practical things we can do to practice mindful eating?

1. Sit down

2. Be thankful/pray grace

3. Put your phone/device away, turn tv off. Have a conversation with someone instead.

4. Savor your food.

5. Chew your food well.

6. Breathe.

Mindfulness helps us differentiate between physical hunger and emotional hunger.

Let's take a look at what real physical hunger is:

• comes on gradually over time

• can be satisfied with various foods

• located in stomach/body

• gets stronger the longer you wait

• goes away when you eat.

Now let's look at emotional hunger:

• comes on suddenly

• crave specific foods (usually comfort foods)

• feel it in your head/heart

• persists even after eating

• often tied to feeling like stress, boredom, sadness, or celebration

It's great to stop and ask yourself: Am I truly hungry? Or am I ..... ? What am I really hungry for? Sometimes it's not food.

Here is another great tool to use that I've learned: the PAUSE technique.

P--pause before eating

A-- acknowledge what you're feeling (physically and emotionally)

U--understand that this is or isn't physical hunger

S--Select your response based on what you truly need

E--engage mindfully with whatever choice you make.

I hope this quick write up on this topic will help you out. For more information, and further insight, please visit: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/mindful-eating-guide#weight-loss

PSA:

It's hard to believe it's already the middle of November! Don't forget to enter the Birthday Draw if you celebrate this month!

Check out the FitStop App: Sside.ca/FitStopApp. We have a new input form asking about challenges in the gym. We'd love to hear from you.

The Squat your Way to 200 challenge is still happening, and if you didn't start it yet, it is never too late to do so! Pick up your copy of the tracker/calendar at the entrance of the gym and have a go at it!

What topics would you like to read about in our blog? Let me know: tracy.jones@summerside.ca

As always, thank you for your loyalty to FitStop! Let's keep making this THE BEST gym around!

Tracy