Mindful Eating Marathon - 26.2 Tips [Infographic]

The Mindful Eating Marathon - 26.2 Tips
Infographic from Spryliving.com

Mindless vs. Mindful Eating

Many health, wellness and weight loss experts believe that mindless eating (a modern day phenomena) not only contributes to weight gain, obesity and eating disorders, but can have other serious health and emotional consequences as well.

Mindless eating includes ignoring our body's satiety and hunger cues, eating when we're not even hungry, grazing, skipping breakfast and other meals, eating on the go, while watching TV, talking on the phone, driving or multitasking.  It also includes eating to calm down or for comfort, continuing to eat despite feeling full, and making food choices without giving our choices any or much thought.

According to some nutritionists, dietitians and holistic health professionals, the practice of mindful eating corrects mindless eating and can profoundly alter our relationship with food in a positive manner, prevent and heal digestive disorders (which are thought to lead or contribute to various chronic diseases), help maintain a healthy weight and aid in weight loss, including toxic belly fat, and generally improve our energy levels, health and sense of wellbeing.

Infographic

This infographic entitled "The Mindful Eating Marathon" illustrates 26.2 suggestions and tips to help individuals begin eating mindfully:

1.   Eat like a gourmet (smell, touch and savor)
2.   Sit down to eat
3.   Pull out the fine china or at least a pretty plate
4.   Don't multitask
5.   Turn off the TV
6.   Move mindfully (try yoga!)
7.   Eat dietary fiber
8.   Put your fork down between bites
9.   Eat with your non-dominant hand
10. Sip water between bites
11. Rate your hunger before you begin to eat
12. Take a deep breath before eating
13. Give thanks
14. Find your compassion
15. Stay hydrated
16. Get more sleep
17. Don't fight cravings
18. Eat your favorite food last
19. Distract yourself before giving into the urge to eat
20. Mindfully cook
21. Plan for tomorrow
22. Place healthy foods where you can see them
23. Try new foods
24. Be mindful of your dining companions
25. Put even more effort into what you do well instead of trying to change what you struggle with
26.  Focus on nourishing foods
26.2.  Write reminders to eat mindfully on your calendar

Recommended Reading

These 26.2 tips are from Susan Albers, PsyD, a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in eating issues, weight loss, body image concerns and mindfulness and the author of several excellent books on the subject, including:

✿ Eating Mindfully: How to End Mindless Eating and Enjoy a Balanced Relationship with Food

✿ The Mindful Appetite: Practices to Transform Your Relationship with Food

✿ 50 Ways to Soothe Yourself Without Food

✿ Eat Q: Unlock the Weight-Loss Power of Emotional Intelligence

Related

Mindful Eating Tips
What is Mindfulness Meditation?

Infographic source and for a large version, please visit: SpryLiving.com

Mindful Eating Tips [Infographic]

Mindful Eating Tips [Infographic]

Mindful Eating and Health

According to Dr. Jan Chozen Bays, author of Mindful Eating: A Guide to Rediscovering a Healthy and Joyful Relationship with Food, the art of mindfulness and mindful eating can transform our struggles with food, helping us to address various eating disorders and food issues, as well as the consequences of such eating disorders, including obesity and being overweight (or underweight).

Mindful eating is not a diet but a concept and an experience, a way of thinking and feeling about and a way of being with our food, including how we choose, prepare and eat it.

Mindfulness

The concept of mindful eating arises from the more general practice of mindfulness.

Mindfulness is defined as the moment to moment awareness of thoughts, feelings and events of both your inner world (thoughts, feelings and sensations occurring in your mind, body and heart) as well as events occurring in your outer environment.

Thus, mindful eating is about being in the "present" with your food - about deliberately paying attention and engaging all of the senses - including the tastes, smells, thoughts and feelings that arise during a meal.

This infographic illustrates seven tips that can help foster a positive environment in which to engage in mindful eating:

☯ Always sit down at a table to eat
☯ Before sitting, clear any clutter from the table
☯ Set a place for yourself, even if you are eating alone
☯ Use tableware and utensils that appeal to you
☯ Take a moment to adjust the lighting so it feels pleasant to you
☯ Consider playing some soft, relaxing music
☯ Minimize multitasking while eating (i.e., do not eat while watching TV, on the phone, reading, etc.)

Related:

Mindful Eating Marathon - 26.2 Tips
What is Mindfulness Meditation?

Infographic source:  unknown - please contact us for credit!

Infographic: Women are Dying to be Thin

This infographic entitled "Women are Dying to be Thin" provides some interesting statistics about the influence of the fashion industry and the media on women, their weight and body image and how mannequins, models, publications and advertising may lead to dangerous (and sometimes deadly) eating disorders, including anorexia.

Some highlights from the infographic include:

90% of women overestimate their body size

80% of women responding to a survey said images of women in movies and in ads made them feel insecure

4 out 5 U.S. women are dissatisfied with their appearance

The average U.S. woman is 5'4" and weighs 140 pounds, whereas the average U.S. model is 5'11" and weighs 117 pounds

Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness

Infographic Source:  Radar Programs via Bliss Tree