Mindful eating is a powerful technique that can help enhance your relationship with food both emotionally and physically.
Mindful eating is an easily learnt skill that allows you to focus your attention and awareness on the present moment. Mindful eating is not focused on what we eat but how we eat. With busy lives, technology and our external surroundings we often can be rushed to eat or distracted when eating. Through mindful eating, emphasis is placed on listening to our bodies and adopting positive eating habits.
There are a number of small practices you can put in place when eating mindfully.
Before you eat, think about;
As you start to eat:
Mindful eating has a number of benefits, some of which may be helpful for people suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).
Stress has been strongly linked for people experiencing IBS, and mindful eating is one approach that can help with reducing stress. Stress can worsen symptoms associated with IBS and negatively impact our digestive system. Mindful eating allows us to release some of the stress (whether emotional and physical) prior to eating. This in turn can aid in the relaxation of our digestive system and may lead to improved symptoms associated with IBS.
Particularly when people are suffering from digestive conditions such as IBS, enjoying food can be tough. Through mindful eating techniques such as checking in with our bodies and satisfaction cues, food enjoyment can be increased. This can also help with reducing emotions such as anxiety around eating.
What is your experience with mindful eating? Do you have IBS and mindfully eat? Leave us a comment below.