Mindful eating is a process by which you gain control over your own eating habits. If done properly, it can aid in weight loss and reduce binge eating. One study has even found that mindful eating can improve health factors that are tied to heart disease and diabetes.

Mindful eating, to put simply, is the practice of being focused on what’s happening in front of you during your meals. Practically speaking, this means keeping your attention on what kind of food you choose for your meal, and then eating that meal with full awareness. Some of the tactics used by mindful eaters includes:

• Fully engaging your senses while you’re eating.
• Eating only until you feel full.
• Eating without getting distracted.
• Appreciating your meal.
• Eating slowly.
• Being aware of the effects the food has on you.

Mindful eating for heart disease and diabetes

A study conducted by researchers from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) found that people who take the time to think about what meal they will be having are more likely to have healthy eating habits. These healthy eating habits can then translate to better health outcomes.

The researchers got 194 obese participants on a five-month long regimen of diet and exercise designed specifically for weight loss. Some of the participants were also given mindfulness training, while others were given educational and nutritional information. The people in the mindfulness training program were required to attend a class once every two weeks. This class involved mindful eating training, meditation and even yoga.

After 18 months, the researchers found that the people who were part of the mindfulness group lost, on average, 3.7 lbs of weight more than the people from the control group. They also found that the people from the mindfulness group had better health outcomes tied to heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.

“Our study suggests that mindful eating can go further than making healthy food choices and recognizing when we’re full; it could improve glucose levels and heart health to a greater extent than behavioral weight loss programs that do not teach mindful eating,” said Jennifer Daubenmier, assistant professor at the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at UCSF.

Begin mindful eating today

Diabetes and heart disease are among the top killers for both men and women in the United States. Diabetes kills nearly 80,000 people each year and heart disease, the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States, kills around 647,000 people each year. Thanks to the research from UCSF, you can lower your risk of being one of these deaths through mindful eating. Here’s how you can start. (h/t to Health.Harvard.edu)

1. Organize your shopping list — Avoid impulse buying and purchasing unhealthy foods, such as processed and junk foods, on your next trip to the grocery. Try and fill your cart with foods from the produce section.
2. Eat when you’re starting to get hungry, not when you’re starving — If you skip meals, you’re more likely to eat large portions of whatever’s on your plate. Come to the table when you’re starting to feel hungry and don’t wait until you’re ravenously so.
3. Eat small portions — Limit the size of your plate or put less food in your plate.
4. Appreciate your food — Take a minute or two before eating to appreciate your food. Be thankful for all of the effort that went into creating your meal. Express your gratitude for the opportunity to enjoy the food in front of you.
5. Stay in touch with all of your senses — When you’re eating, pay close attention to the look, the feel, the aroma and even the different sounds your meal makes as you eat it. While chewing your food, see if you can identify all the different ingredients that went into them.
6. Eat your food in small bites — It’s easier to appreciate your food when you don’t stuff your mouth.
7. Chew thoroughly — Take the time to chew your food before swallowing. You may be surprised at how many flavors are released when you chew your food several dozen times.
8. Eat slowly — Follow the above-mentioned advice. If you do, you won’t be rushing through your meals. Make sure your dinner can last for at least five minutes.

For more studies on how what you eat and the way you eat it affects your health, check out the articles at FoodScience.news.

Source:

HNGN.com

Healthline.com

MedicalNewsToday.com

CDC.gov

Health.Harvard.edu