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In recent times, people have become more conscious and selective about their food choices. They carefully consider the food they eat. Given this trend, the concept of making conscious decisions about food has become increasingly popular as a way to encourage healthier living.
Notably, the concept of mindfulness has evolved from Zen Buddhism which preaches self-calming and changing eating behaviours. With mindful eating people’s engagement with the food is far more conscious and intentional, which fosters a deeper connection between the mind and the body. This practice helps in paying close attention to sensory experiences of eating like the texture, aroma and flavours of the food. The ultimate goal to mindful eating is to promote a more enjoyable meal and understand the eating pattern.
If you are someone who is looking to indulge this practice into your everyday life, this article will surely help you. Below are the tips to create a mindful eating environment:
- Remove Distractions
To cultivate a deeper connection with you and the food, it is important to remove any kind of distractions. First, choose a quiet and comfortable space free from external disturbances like TV, radio, etc. Have minimalistic decor on the table, only to focus on the food itself. It is advisable to resist the urge to multitask like texting or reading while eating. Allow your attention to be fully focused on the food while you eat.
- Set The Atmosphere
For creating a mindful eating environment, begin by setting the atmosphere by dimming the lights, playing soft instrumental music or lighting the candle. This helps establish a calming ambience conducive to mindful eating. Comfortable seating arrangement plays a major role in encouraging relaxation and proper posture, which helps in the full engagement with the sensory experience of eating. Besides, keep the table arrangement to be simple by incorporating elements of nature such as fresh flowers or a bowl of fruits.
- Using Mindful Serving ware
The only thing that brings a connection between food and the individual is serving ware. Choose simple, aesthetic and pleasing dishes and utensils which help in enhancing the visual appeal and also encourage a mindful eating approach. Choose serving ware that appeals to the senses and complements the texture and colour of the food. Besides, restrict from making unnecessary sound of the utensils while serving or eating the food.
- Eat Slowly
Make sure you eat slowly so as to fully engage yourself with the sensory experience of food consumption. Taking time to chew each bite thoroughly helps savour the flavour, texture and aroma of the meal, helping to develop a deeper appreciation of the nourishment that the food provides. Besides, it also aids better digestion, and absorption of nutrients into the body to process and metabolise food more efficiently. Slow eating can help you to tune into your body’s hunger and fullness cues, preventing overeating of food.
- Listen To Your Body
Listening to your body to practice mindful eating is of the utmost importance. This allows you to develop a deep connection with the physical and emotional cues surrounding the food. Realising the feeling of hunger and fullness helps you to understand when your body truly requires nourishment, rather than listening to external cues and emotional triggers. You can choose food that promotes overall wellbeing and satisfaction.
