My Take On Mindful & Healthy Eating

Your body can stand almost anything, it’s your mind that you have to convince.

Whenever we talk about fitness, healthy lifestyle, most people suggest to eat healthy or to try mindful eating. Everyone has their own definition of being healthy and what to add in their daily diet. Having said that, there is some common ground where I hope everyone will agree on healthy and mindful eating.

Now the question is what is that common ground and how you can add it to your daily diet. Some simple tips can help your mind to discern between mindless and more mindful eating, and bring your body and mind back together. Let’s explore.

Watch your plate- I am a big foodie and absolutely love eating food like pizza, burger, fries, and whatnot. When I started my fitness journey, I learned that I need to watch my food habits as well to achieve my fitness goals.

When you sit down to eat, you can see what is on your plate. Does it have processed food or vegetables or meat or salad or anything else. What we choose to eat every single time decides what we’re putting in our body every day. Body reacts to your eating habits, that is one of the reasons, you may have felt bloated, heavy, sleepy, or hot after eating your meal. When more food is served, we are tempted to eat more. Be mindful of the portion sizes being served on your plate.

Try to add 40% raw or saute vegetables in your plate, 30% salad and 20% lean meat or nuts and 10% your favorite treat ( a piece of dark chocolate, peanut butter, cake, etc). Try avoiding emotional and stress eating. This is one of the major triggers where we start eating unhealthy food.

Eating Schedule — I usually eat 5–6 times in a day. I eat small portions, so this schedule works for me. It may not be the case with you. Schedule time to eat at regular intervals; not just at any random time. You can break your daily food intake in 4–5 regular intervals.

Ask yourself these simple question before you eat, are you really hungry, how you’re going to feel after eating.

Start with meal preparation for at least a day or two days in advance if weekly meal preparation is not convenient. Add your portions in boxes so that you exactly know what to eat. You can label them as breakfast, lunch, dinner or just a snack. This way you can start controlling your urges to eat at random times.

Start your day with a glass of water. Add oats or fruits or muesli or boil eggs or smoothie ( add your favorite fruit ) in your daily breakfast. If your schedule does not allow you to make a breakfast, prepare overnight soaked oats with some nuts or fresh fruit, grab a fruit like banana, apple, keep boiled eggs in refrigerator or just make a smoothie and keep it in a go-to jar. It will help you to eat right and will not take time at all in your morning rush hours.

Slow Down- This is one of the main aspects of mindful eating. Eat slowly and don’t rush your meals. It’s not going anywhere. Focus on the food and how it makes you feel. Start connecting with your food. Try to avoid doing multitasking and concentrate on your food while you eat. When you’re eating, just eat and savor every bite. When you eat mindfully, you slow down and notice your emotions and your hunger so that you eat when you’re hungry and taste the food in your mouth.

Avoid being on phone or TV or excessive talking when you’re with a group.

Listen to your body when you’re eating. If it says full, stop overeating. Another aspect is don’t let your hunger go crazy. When we deprive our body with food, we tend to eat more. You can avoid it by eating at regular intervals.

Watch your grocery list — There are zillions of food options available in markets and it’s easy to get confused and stuck what to buy. Notice what you eat at regular basis and what produces you buy every day or every week. What kind of food you usually have in your kitchen. All these things say a lot about our daily eating habits.

You’ll probably feel best if you focus on wholesome, healthy foods most of the time-although there’s absolutely room for enjoying indulgences. Add vegetables, fruits, salad, egg, some lean meat, and less on processed food or ready to eat frozen foods. Once your grocery list is sorted, you know what to buy when you’re at the store. This way you are not spending time browsing random food items at the store and it’s light on your pocket too as you’re getting exactly what you need.

Learn the science behind your food — You may or may not be interested learning about it. But if you give it a little time, you start enjoying your food more as you exactly know what you’re eating and why you’re eating it. It’s more of a psychological thing. Once your mind knows the science behind the food, your body automatically start reacting to it.

You can start seeing with the labels available on products. It will give you some idea about the food. For example, if you like eating chips or nachos, see the labels, read nutrients, calorie, fat percentage, etc. Once you know about it, start exploring on replacements with more healthier options. This way, you’re still eating your favorite chips but in a healthier way. It helps you to see how you should be taking your time with food and how to begin understanding your relationship with each food item you eat.

If you like drinking flavored water, instead of buying, start making your own infused water. The simple recipe is to add fresh lemon, fresh ginger, some fresh mints, any citrus fruit, crushed ice, and store it in a bottle. Your spa water is ready in no time.

Practice Everyday- It seems like a hell lot of work and quite a big adjustment in your daily life. However, you need to practice on a daily basis until it becomes a habit and organically your mind starts shifting towards healthy eating.

Make simple adjustments, add small routines, and find ways to incorporate in your daily life. Also start exploring things that you can control on a daily basis, like your grocery list, your plate portions, your eating schedule, etc.

I can totally relate, some days are hectic and you’re going to eat whatever is available for you. Start keeping healthier options around you. If you like eating rice, try with substitutes like brown rice or quinoa. If you like drinking milk, try almond or soy milk. Add beans and legumes ( pinto beans, chickpeas, black beans, etc) in your diet. If you enjoy your bread toasts, try sprouted bread. It is minimally processed and has more nutrients and zero sugar.

It’s never too late to start looking at your food habits. It’s an integral part of our life and you should invest some time thinking what you’re putting in your body.

There is a saying, “If you get the inside right, outside will fall into place.” There is no rocket science to eat right. It only need little bit of working and enthusiasm to be your best version and it’s never too late to start. You may not be able to control everything in your life but definitely you can control what you put in your body. Make little adjustments in your eating habits now and I’m sure it’s going pay you back for your lifetime. Today is the chance to change yourself for the better.

Hope this is going to help you to choose better for yourself. Do share your idea of healthy eating. I would definitely love to know about it.

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