Mindful Eating: Why You Should Start Practicing This Celebrity Recommended Habit

Our eating habits are directly related to how healthy our body stays. Celebrities and yoga experts have incorporated mindful eating into their dietary routine for an improvement in overall wellbeing. Creating healthy habits is the key to a healthy body and mind, according to Shilpa Shetty. Mindful eating is one of the best ways to accomplish your health goals, ward off many illnesses and achieve tranquillity of the mind. We often think a lot about what to eat. But miss an important aspect i.e how to eat? A simple change in the way you eat your food can do wonders for your mind, body and soul. 

What is Mindful Eating?

Eating mindfully is not a health fad nor is it a new diet to follow. Mindful eating is a rather simple practice that requires the full focus of our mind and nothing else. Mindful eating means paying attention to the food you are eating and actively engaging all your senses to feel, smell, taste and touch your food. Sounds very simple right? We have strayed away from this practice because today we turn our focus to a variety of other things during our meals. The most common practice includes watching television or staying glued to our phones and scrolling through social media while eating which is not at all a healthy practice.  

Mindful eating is not a practice that will magically help you lose weight or become healthy. It is a process-oriented habit that will ultimately lead you towards better health. If you practice mindful eating you will slowly notice that you enjoy eating more than before and the quantity of food that you consume also becomes restricted along with many other benefits. 

What are the Benefits of Mindful Eating?

Eating mindfully has a number of benefits that impact our overall health. Here are some of the health benefits you will experience when you practice mindful eating:  

1. Weight Loss

Practicing mindful eating aids in weight loss since you are aware of your body’s needs. Mindful eating minimizes the need of eating in excess and makes you achieve satiety with an adequate amount of diet. If you accompany mindful eating with a healthy diet, then you can start reaching your weight loss goals more easily.

2. Understand Body Cues in a Better Manner

We often do not understand whether we are actually hungry or we are craving food due to other reasons like stress or anxiety. If you start to focus on the food you eat, you will slowly start to understand how full you are and when your body is actually craving food. Mindful eating can help you understand the signals of your body better and you can correctly assess whether you are craving food due to hunger or other reasons. This can help you minimize binge eating or stress eating.

3. Better Digestive Health

Focusing on your food also includes eating it at a steady pace while chewing it properly. If you focus properly while eating, the food is digested much more easily than if you keep on eating without taking too much care. Proper chewing and eating slowly go a long way in aiding our digestive system. 

4. Balanced Snacking

Mindful eating helps you make healthier choices about the food you eat. If you understand the need for healthy eating and pay close attention to what you are putting in your body, you will skip deep-fried snacks and choose light and healthier options such as nuts, seeds, slices of fruit, yoghurt, etc. These healthy snacks will provide your body with the necessary nutrients in between meals. 

Bonus: If you practice mindful eating you will definitely start to enjoy the food you eat and truly savour each and every meal. You can even start to notice finer aspects of the food you eat and develop your taste palette. And a healthier body is also linked to a more restful state of mind.

How to Eat Mindfully? Top 10 Tips from Shilpa Shetty

1. Avoid Watching TV While Eating

Skip watching TV or using your mobile phone while eating. To be mindful of your food, you need to start allotting your complete attention towards it. Taste your food and feel every bite of it. Focus on the different textures and tastes and savour your meal.

2. Enjoy Food with a Feeling of Gratitude

Be thankful that you are getting to eat a proper meal. A nutritious meal is something which we are lucky to eat every day and being thankful for it is a great way to start being mindful about food.

3. Control your Portions

Take small amounts of food at a time instead of taking a lot to eat at once. When your stomach feels full, stop eating. Taking smaller portions at a time will help you watch the amount you need to eat to get full. 

4. Staying Hydrated is Vital

Staying hydrated is crucial to maintain good health. There are times when you might feel hungry but it is actually dehydration causing the hunger. Skip unhealthy snacking and try having a glass of water instead. You might actually stop being hungry. 

5. Chew your Food Properly

Chew every bite at least 28/30 times so that it breaks down properly. This helps you eat slower and also aids the digestive system.

6. Carry Healthy Snacks While Travelling

Carry snacks like nuts or raisins while travelling. If you feel hungry, snacking on these healthy options can help you avoid foods that are harmful to the body or even unhealthy portions of food.

7. Eat Only When you Feel Hungry

Eat only when you are actually feeling hungry. Learn to be brutally honest with yourself – are you really hungry or do you want to eat because you are bored or stressed? Try following a strict eating routine that will help you avoid feeling hungry at random moments.

8. Concentrate on Breathing for at Least 10 Minutes a Day

Practice simple breathing exercises for at least 10 minutes a day. This can help you put your mind at ease and focus on everything including the act of eating without feeling distracted.

9. Shop with a Mindful List

Make a list of things you need to purchase before going grocery shopping. This can help you avoid picking up unhealthy food while shopping and stick to the necessary food items. 

10. Refrain from Refined Foods

Avoid refined food and fast food as it can hamper your eating habits. Learn why these foods are dangerous for your health and make a conscious decision to steer clear of them.

Mindful eating is one of the most effective eating habits that you should start practicing right now. You do not need to spare extra time in your schedule for this healthy practice. It is something that can be practiced by every person every day. Mindful eating is helpful in bringing a change to your lifestyle and even helps you build more focus towards other areas of life. This practice is a habit of developing awareness of the present moment – being mindful. Try out the simple yet effective tips and see for yourself the benefits of mindful eating.

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