Mindful eating: Self-awareness and your wellbeing
Give your meals the attention they deserve with mindfulness when eating
Text: Karen Fong
What food did you last eat? Was it salty, spicy, sweet? Did you feel satisfied afterwards? Can’t remember …? These days, multitasking has become something of an art form. We’re all used to doing more than one thing at a time; walking and texting, working and online shopping, and paying little attention to our meals and the food we put in our mouth. Like everything else in life, eating mindfully has given way to multi-tasking behaviour.
We know multi-tasking takes its toll on our ability to be present and truly live through our experiences. Mindfulness helps us to regulate our emotions and keep a healthier frame of mind, and has shown to have positive physical benefits to our health as well.
Awareness when we eat
So, it comes as no surprise that mindful eating can also be great for our wellbeing. Studies have shown that a lack of awareness when we eat — such as paying less attention to hunger cues or even what we are eating — can lead to obesity and other health issues. It suggests that by not being fully present during meals you are fostering poor eating habits.
Says Riyana Rupani, a certified holistic nutritionist in Singapore who runs Healthy-ish and Happy, “Digestion is a north to south process that starts in the brain. We don’t realise what a huge impact this has on our body’s ability to absorb nutrients. We’re so used to scrolling on our phones during meals, eating at our desk or in front of the TV (or even while driving), and all this multitasking sends mixed signals,” she says. “You want to give your meals the attention they deserve. This is what you’re nourishing yourself with; what gives you life. Don’t you think that's pretty important and deserves a few minutes of your time?”
No distractions
Simple steps for a more mindful meal include eating or drinking only when you are hungry or thirsty, and only eating until you’re full and eating slowly without distractions — this will help you to truly engage with your meal and notice the taste, textures and flavours.
“You’ll notice how food has an effect on your feelings,” says Riyani, adding, “On a higher level, mindful eating can also help you with guilt and anxiety about food, and it can teach you to appreciate your food more. When my clients start practicing mindful eating, they realise how in tune they can be with their bodies.”
Just slowing down allows you to listen to the signals your body is giving you. “We start to understand our hungry and full cues, are able to distinguish cravings versus hunger, and even have the ability to realize when foods don’t agree with us quite quickly.”
While originally a Buddhist concept, mindfulness can be applied to eating for health benefits. “If you eat your meals mindfully, you digest your food better, nourish your body better, and enjoy your meal more than you would have ever thought possible,” explains Riyana. “Remember, it’s not just what you eat, but what you absorb. Mindfulness when eating is the first step to proper digestion and better nutrient absorption.”
Here, Riyana shares her tips:
- Take a few deep breaths before beginning a mindful meal, smell your food and anticipate it
- Chew your food 10–20 times. Put your utensils down between each bite if you tend to eat fast. This will trigger your body to enter into a rest and digest (parasympathetic) state and take it out of fight or flight (sympathetic) state
- Keeping a food and mood journal can make you more aware of how you’re feeling and why you feel the way you do it. Taking a few minutes at the start and end of every day to reflect on what you ate can help you to connect the dots and make self-realisations about food, mood, physical wellbeing, and more.
