From discount Halloween candy to a mouth-watering Thanksgiving feast to the never-ending train of seasonal treats, the holidays present a mountain of temptation. But it is possible to enjoy your favorite foods this time of year without walking away from the table feeling stuffed or guilty.
Mindful eating is the practice of paying attention to the foods we consume. By avoiding mindless snacking and grazing, we are less likely to over-indulge and can more easily recognize when our bodies and stomachs are full. Here are four ways you can practice mindful eating during the holidays:
- Be aware of why you’re eating. Instead of feeding emotions such as boredom, loneliness or sadness, we need to feed our bodies when they are physically hungry. Before you take a bite, ask yourself if you’re eating in response to an emotion or because you’re actually hungry.
- Make eating your sole focus. Turn off the television, close your computer and stop wrapping presents while eating. When you try to multi-task while you nosh, it’s easy to become distracted and not be fully aware of the food you are consuming or how much of it you are eating. Keep your mind on the food.
- Don’t rush. The holidays are a busy time in general. Between juggling work, decorating, cooking and shopping for presents, we tend to move at lightning speed. However, when it comes to food, take it slow. It takes your body time to process what you’ve eaten and alert your brain that you’re full. Pause between bites, savor the taste and chew slowly. You just might find that you get full a lot sooner than expected.
