Many people multi-task and eat while driving, watching television or chatting with friends. They may end up overeating or not truly enjoying their food. Avoid distractions and practice mindfulness meditation while eating, and you may find yourself eating less. As a result, you may lose weight.
Identification
Meditation has been practiced for thousands of years. The practice produces a deep state of calm and a peaceful mind. During meditation, you focus your attention and get rid of your stream of disorganized thoughts that may be causing stress. Meditation can result in a sense of relaxation and balance, benefiting both your emotional and physical health, MayoClinic.com states. Mindfulness meditation is a type of meditation based on acceptance of living in the current moment. You observe your thoughts and feelings but withhold judgment.
Effects
Mindfulness meditation could be a possible intervention for weight gain and obesity, particularly in those with binge eating disorders. Individuals may notice changes in their eating patterns within days of trying mindfulness meditation while eating, according to Jean Kristeller, Ph.D., a psychology professor at Indiana State University, and Ruth Quillian-Wolever, Ph.D., clinic director and clinical health psychologist of the Duke Center for Integrative Medicine. People who practice mindfulness meditation may find that they experience more self-acceptance and more self-control.
Theory
People with eating problems may be less aware of fullness and hunger cues, possibly due to a history of ignoring hunger or using foods to meet emotional needs, according to the American Psychological Association. Mindfulness meditation can be used to help you become more aware of how much and how quickly you're eating. Once you are made aware of that, you can work to slow down your eating and to take note of when you are full.
Practice
To practice mindfulness meditation while eating, choose food that is both nourishing and pleasing to you. Use all of your senses to experience the food. Ask yourself what you like about the food that you're eating. Mentally describe the food to yourself. Let the food linger in your mouth. Make each bite a choice, not a reflex. Accept feelings of dislike or neutrality without judging yourself. Feel gratitude for the experience of eating food. Pay attention to natural hunger and fullness cues.
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