Make time to eat and drink
Our relationship with food is a central one that reflects our attitudes toward our environment and ourselves. Being aware of our of our own actions, thoughts, feelings and motivations around eating will provide insight into understanding this relationship. This is what we call mindfulness.
So my last tip is to make time to eat and drink; take a breath……..sit down and relax rather than (as many of us do) grab something on the run and devour it like the Cookie Monster (or we are so distracted with e-mails / phone calls / kids, we don’t even get to finish our lunch!) Sounds familiar doesn’t it?
I must confess when at work I eat in front of my computer all the time. There is a staff room with comfy seats right next to my office. Do I walk the half dozen steps to take some time out and truly enjoy my ham and salad sandwich my husband made for me (yes, he’s very good! :-)). No, I confine myself to my screen, take a bite, type a bit, take a bite, take a slurp, drop crumbs in my keyboard and before I know it, it’s gone and I didn’tremember eating it, never mind what it tasted like! Even as I write this I think this is madness!
Only 1 in 6 of us eats lunch away from the office and 30 per cent of us eat it within 10 minutes!
Stress and anxiety are not conducive to good digestion at all – it contributes to indigestion and many other digestive disorders.
So after that hard day at the office, or the day with the kids when you have never actually sat down because you’ve been running around like a headless chicken, we collapse on the sofa. Oh the thought of just putting your feet up ands lying back watching some mindless tv is so appealing! So why not just eat your dinner there; relax, chill out, you deserve it!….. But again we fall into that mesmerized trance taking no real notice of what we are eating…..does it taste good?…..did I just eat all that?…..I’m so full!……what’s for pudding?!
‘Mindful eating’ is about
- Allowing yourself to become aware of the positive and nurturing opportunities that are available through food selection and preparation.
- Using all your senses in choosing to eat food that is both satisfying to you and nourishing to your body.
- Acknowledging responses to food (likes, dislikes or neutral) without judgement.
- Becoming aware of physical hunger and satiety cues to guide your decisions to begin and end eating (taken from The centre for mindful eating)
If you check this link out Mindful Eating Marathon there is a nice image to give you further tips about how to eat mindfully.
Lastly, don’t forget to drink! I am the first one to admit when I am busy, I don’t make time to put the kettle on. Note to self….. Listen to my own advice!
Here’s to a happy gut!
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The Grub Hub 