Master Emotional Eating: Try Mindfulness

Emotional eating is a maladaptive coping mechanism used by individuals to deal with their emotions and feelings through binge eating. This behavior is unhealthy and can lead to weight gain, obesity, and other health issues like diabetes and high blood pressure. Furthermore, emotional eating can trigger an individual’s emotional state, perpetuating the vicious cycle of emotional eating. However, taking control of eating habits is possible, and mindfulness is a practical approach to mastering emotional eating.

What is Emotional Eating?

Emotional eating occurs when an individual eats to fulfill an emotional need rather than physical hunger. People often turn to eating to reduce stress, anxiety, depression, sadness or boredom. Unlike physical hunger, emotional eating is not related to the physiological need for food but is driven by an individual’s emotions. Emotional eating is a vicious cycle that is challenging to break, but it is possible.

Why Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is a mental state where an individual is present in the moment, acknowledges their thoughts, feelings and sensations without judgement while being aware of their surroundings. Mindfulness is an effective technique to overcome emotional eating. By practicing mindfulness, individuals can break the cycle of emotional eating by getting to the root of their emotions, without the compulsion to overeat. One practice of mindfulness is mindful eating.

Mindful Eating

Mindful eating is a way of eating where individuals pay attention to their food and body while eating. It involves eating slowly and with awareness, savoring the flavors, textures, and smells of the food eaten. Mindful eating encourages individuals to bring an open and curious focus to their senses, thoughts, and emotions while eating. Mindful eating is a practice that fosters attentiveness to an individual’s relationship with food, including previous eating habits, body framework. Ultimately, mindful eating enables people to break the cycle of emotional eating.

How to Practice Mindful Eating

Mindful eating may sound like a simple practice, but requires attention and practice. Listed below are the several steps to begin a mindful eating practice:

1. Pick a calm and quiet place to eat while avoiding distractions or high-energy surroundings.
2. Slow down and focus on your food, take deep breaths, and savor the smells of the food.
3. Observe the colors, textures, and shapes of the food on display.
4. Take small bites and chew slowly while paying attention to the flavors, textures, and sensations they provide.
5. Put down the fork between bites to prevent overeating and notice the feelings of fullness.
6. Notice the hunger and fullness cues while eating until content, not full.
7. Practice gratitude and thank the food, earth, and people involved in preparing and delivering the food.

By practicing mindful eating, one tunes-in and connects with the sensations that arise in their mind and body while eating, including emotions and mood shifts. This practice increases an individual’s understanding of their psychological and physical relationship with food, enhancing their chances of breaking the cycle of emotional eating.

The Benefits of Mindful Eating

1. Better Digestion: Eating mindlessly often leads to overeating and digestive problems that include bloating, constipation, and acid reflux. With mindfulness, individuals can consume their food adequately, allowing the organs to function correctly during digestion.
2. Reduced Stress: Emotional eating is commonly linked to stress, anxiety, or depression. Mindful eating can reduce stress, as being present while consuming food will help individuals relax and not worry about what they consume.
3. Improved Self-awareness: Mindful eating helps people build awareness of their food choices and how they impact them emotionally and physically. This awareness helps individuals make healthier decisions and habits rooted in intuition and self-respect.
4. Weight Loss: Overeating often leads to weight gain and obesity. Mindful eating enables individuals to regulate their food intake and make healthier food choices, increasing their chances of weight loss.
5. Greater Connection to Food: Mindful eating encourages people to understand and get to know the physical, emotional, and psychological aspects of their food habits and choices, leading to a deeper connection to food.
6. Improved Mental Well-being: Mindfulness increases awareness, reduces stress, and helps people control their emotions, leading to improved overall mental health.

Conclusion

Emotional eating is an unhealthy behavior that is harmful physically and emotionally. Mindfulness is an effective strategy in combating emotional eating. Mindful eating requires attentiveness to the present moment and promotes the idea of being present with food and emotions. Mindful eating is a simple practice that can lead to better digestion, reduced stress, increased self-awareness, weight loss, a deeper connection to food, and improved mental well-being. Therefore, people are encouraged to make mindfulness an integral part of their lives, breaking the cycle of emotional eating once and for all.