MINDFUL EATING

There is a Japanese saying, ‘Hara Hachi Bu’ which is a reminder to stop eating when your stomachs feel about 80% full.  It originated in a city called Okinawa, which has one of the world’s longest living and healthiest population groups. Of course, there are many other factors that influence longevity but ‘mindful eating’, such as this is associated with making better food choices, eating less and overall improving how we feel.  Ultimately, this is something most of us wish for as it influences our outlook on life, your productivity and self-worth.

Can you remember what you had to eat or drink yesterday?  Most of us could probably recall some of our meals but what about all the coffees (with milk and sugar), the biscuits from your meeting, the handful of crisps your colleague offered you, the slices of cheese you nibbled on waiting for supper or the chocolate you ate while watching late night T.V.?  These mindless foods tend to be less healthy additions to your diet and discreetly accumulate by the end of the week/ month/ year.  For example, having 3 cups of coffee with 2 tsp of sugar in each cup will add up to 42 teaspoons of sugar by the end of the week and just short of 1 kilogram of sugar by the end of the month.

Mindful eating means focusing on the moment, being conscious of your food choices, quantities and how food makes you feel.  Here are some tips of how to achieve ‘mindful eating’:

• Are you eating because you are hungry, bored, stressed or simply because of the time (i.e. 12:00 signals lunchtime).
• Think about how hungry you are.  You should ideally be hungry not ravenous before  a meal.
• Sit down to eat (try not to eat on the run, sitting in traffic, watching TV or while working).
• Dish up a smaller portion than usual, decide if you are still hungry when it is finished (‘Hara Hachi Bu’).
• Appreciate your food, take small bites, chew well and enjoy the flavours, textures, smells and combinations.
• Plan your meals so that you have something available before feeling ravenous as this typically leads to devouring the easiest options (in excess).