Mindful Eating


Q I see Greek yogurt everywhere. Is it good for you?
A Are you asking if yogurt is good for you as an individual, or is yogurt good for everyone? We don’t give personalized nutrition advice, but all year we have been asking our readers to practice mindfulness, which is avoiding mechanical motions in everyday life and focusing on the actions, thoughts and feelings of our daily routines. Using mindful eating, you can figure out if yogurt is really good for you.

Mindful eating is as much about what you eat, as it is about how you eat. Think of it as establishing a relationship with your food. Mindfulness establishes a connection between you and whatever you are doing. Therefore, mindful eating establishes a connection between
eating your food and living in your body. The trouble is, many of us eat rather mechanically, without much attention to the full experience. Below are some mindful eating tips you can put into practice today:

  1. Before you purchase a food item, read the label. Are there ingredients you do not recognize? Does it contain ingredients to which you may have an allergy? Is the carbohydrate count relevant to your [diabetic] diet?
  2. Before you prepare the food, have you thought about how you want to serve it? Will you use a fork or a spoon? Is it for breakfast or a snack?
  3. Before you eat the food, take stock of your situation. Are you eating on the run? Are you setting a place at the table? Dining alone? In a hurry?
  4. While you eat, think about the food and what it is doing for your body. Is it giving energy? Is it pleasing the taste buds? Appreciate it. This is the mindbody connection.
  5. After your meal, check in with your body. How do you feel when digesting this food? Imagine the calories traveling through your body to your organs and muscles. Pay particular attention to your gut. How do you feel?

Many yogurt products contain good bacteria that mix with the bacteria already in your intestines. This balance can reduce inflammation. This is why people think its “good” for us all. You will know it is good for you by checking in mentally after eating it. Let us know how you do!

 

Sources:

“Mindful Eating for a Healthier Brain-Gut-Connection” by Jennifer Wolking, available at:
http://www.mindful.org/mindful-eating-for-a-healthierbrain-gut-connection/