Start Your Own Health Routine with Mindful Eating

While it can be helpful if you are trying to lose weight, the practice of mindful eating isn’t just for those who are interested in a weight loss retreat. In the age of constant distraction and motion, when so many of us barely have time to even dream of a Florida retreat, mindful eating can benefit all of us.

“Mindful eating is about developing awareness of your experiences, physical cues, and feelings about food,” the folks at Healthline say. 

You don’t need to head out on a wellness retreat to start eating mindfully. Among other things, Healthline says the practice of mindful eating involves the following:

• eating slowly and without distraction
• taking time to appreciate your food
• engaging your senses by noticing colors, smells, sounds, textures, and flavors
• listening to physical hunger cues and eating only until you’re full

 

“Eating has become a mindless act, often done quickly. This can be problematic, since it takes your brain up to 20 minutes to realize you’re full,” Healthline’s Mindful Eating 101 — A Beginner’s Guide explains. “If you eat too fast, the fullness signal may not arrive until you have already eaten too much.”

With mindful eating, the act of eating becomes more intentional. Instead of allowing yourself to be distracted by your cell phone or computer, you focus your attention on really tasting your food, appreciating the color of your vegetables and fruits and experiencing the way the food you are eating makes your body feel.   

“By eating mindfully, you restore your attention and slow down, making eating an intentional act instead of an automatic one. What’s more, by increasing your recognition of physical hunger and fullness cues, you are able to distinguish between emotional and true, physical hunger. You also increase your awareness of triggers that make you want to eat, even though you’re not necessarily hungry. By knowing your triggers, you can create a space between them and your response, giving you the time and freedom to choose how to react.”

Just imagine what is possible if you combine the practice of mindful eating with the benefits you’ll gain at an all-inclusive wellness retreat – including a vegetarian weight loss plan – in Florida with Balance for Life Retreats!