Mindful eating allows you to naturally control portions, choose healthy options, and avoid emotional eating.
Mindful eating has been shown to reduce the amount of calories people eat, as well as improve food choices and increase satisfaction with their choices. Mindful eating is great for the holidays, letting you fully enjoy your celebration meals and balance pleasure and health.
The following tips can help you eat mindfully for the holidays:
Start your day with activity.
On the morning of the holiday party or holiday meal, move your body. For example, go for a brisk walk or run, or participate in a fun activity. This will reduce cortisol levels which can help prevent holiday stress eating.
Make a plan for social distractions.
When we are engaged socially we cannot be completely focused on what we are eating and drinking. As you gather with family and friends during the holidays try some new behaviors. For instance:
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- alternate drinking glasses of adult beverages with drinking glasses of sparkling water.
- move away from the food table at cocktail parties while socializing
- at a sit-down dinner, put your fork down between bites of food while conversing
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Assess your hunger before you take your first bite.
Be aware of your hunger and fullness cues before you begin eating. Ask yourself how you will feel if you eat the food in front of you. Will you feel satisfied and content? Or, will you feel full, bloated, and exhausted? Now you can choose if you want to eat, what you want to eat, and how much you want to eat.
Eat slowly and savor the food.
The most important thing you can do to eat mindfully is to learn to slow down and really taste the food. Before you begin to eat take a moment to smell the aromas and see all of the colors on your plate. Chew thoroughly savoring the experience. Aim to chew each bite 30-40 times. This practice will give your gut time to tell your brain that you are full.
Check-in with your body during the meal or during the party.
As you eat, pay attention to any signals from your body. Recognize when you feel comfortably satisfied.
Eating can become a mindless act during the holiday season causing bloating, fatigue, and unwanted weight gain. Eating mindfully takes practice before you begin to see the benefits. I recommend you start using some of the above strategies at meals and snacks now so that you are more aware of your body’s signals before the start of the holiday meals and parties.