Mindful Eating 101: How to Practice Mindful Eating

It sounds like a good thing, but exactly what is mindful eating? Simply put, it is being in full awareness mode when choosing, preparing, serving, and eating your food.

Mindless eating is what we do when eating unconsciously. We can be so unaware that we don't fully appreciate the look, smell, texture or taste of the food we’re eating. This is most obvious when multitasking, such as eating while driving, reading, watching TV, texting or working, and so on.

Quite the opposite, mindful eating is the ability to bring your attention fully and directly to the experience of food choice, preparation, serving, and consuming; it is becoming conscious of all sensations as well as thoughts and feelings about food and eating, including the awareness of hunger and satiety.

Mindful Eating Practices

No matter how long you’ve been eating, you might be amazed at how much you don’t know about how best to consume your food. Why does it even matter?

"Mindless eating may be contributing to the national obesity epidemic and other health issues," says Dr. Lilian Cheung, a nutritionist, and lecturer at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Cheung continues, “The concept of mindful eating goes beyond the individual. It also encompasses how what you eat affects the world. We eat for total health.”

Dr. Cheung and her co-author, Buddhist spiritual leader Thich Nhat Hanh, suggest several practice tips that can help you get into your mindful eating diet, included among the seven tips listed below.

1. Consider the health value of every food item you buy.

Consider where your food comes from and how it is prepared. Fill your cart mostly in the produce section and avoid processed foods.

2. Honor your hunger cues; don't fear eating and don’t skip meals.

Eat when your body tells you to eat. If you wait too long, your first priority is to fill your growling stomach rather than focus on enjoying your food. Once you feel satisfied and before you feel overly full, stop eating.

3. Place your food on an attractive plate or bowl.

Just say “no” to eating out of a bag, box or carton. Vision is an essential part of the sensual eating experience. Presentation counts no matter how humble the food.

4. Appreciate your food.

Pause to take a few breaths before eating to contemplate everything and everyone it took to bring the meal to your table. Silently express your gratitude for the opportunity to enjoy delicious food and the company you are enjoying it with.

5. Bring calmness to every meal.

Sit down while eating, remain free of distraction, and start with a small portion. Also, it is calming for digestion to sip warm water before or during a meal.

6. Bring all your senses to every meal. 

When cooking, serving, and eating your food, be attentive to color, texture, aroma, and even the sounds different foods make as you prepare them. As you chew your food, try to identify all the ingredients, especially seasonings.

7. Take small bites, chew thoroughly, and eat slowly.

It's easier to taste food completely when your mouth isn't full. Chew well until you can taste the essence of the food. You may be surprised to notice all the flavors that are released.

1. Choose Almased as your weight loss diet of choice.

The Almased Weight Loss Phenomenon is a powerhouse of Nature's goodness in one nutritional supplement, and it can be used for weight loss, weight maintenance, and overall wellness.

It was an act of nature that first created the Almased product in the home of naturopath Hubertus Trouillé, in Germany. Using his unique fermentation process, Trouillé developed his product to activate the slow metabolism of his patients. Many positive effects, including body fat that seemed to melt away, soon resulted in scientific research with many renowned institutes and universities. The rest is history.

Almased’s unique formula increases the body’s metabolism, protects against muscle loss, and helps the body burn fat more successfully. This is all accomplished with NO stimulants, artificial fillers, flavors, added sugars, or preservatives.

Though Almased is a gangbuster for weight loss, their diet advice includes strategies to instill healthy eating habits (like mindful eating) and supercharge your energy levels so you can live the life you’ve always wanted.

It’s all about feeling good, liking the way you look and being your best.

2. Implement mindful eating habits with Almased.

Focus on each sip as you’re drinking each shake. Turn off the TV, put away your cell phones and savor each swallow. The more you focus on drinking your shakes, the more satisfied you’ll feel afterward. And, you’ll be in better spirits from putting your attention away from distracting events in your life.

Adopting mindful eating habits restores natural balance to mind and body while assisting the entire digestive process. Working with nature is always a good thing.

Mindful eating habits can be easily implemented on the Almased diet.

Remain mindfully aware of what you eat and the feedback from your body. A big part of mindfulness includes connecting the dots after you’ve eaten. Do you notice if you feel sluggish or energized after a meal? Comfortable or overfull?

Be kind to your taste buds and enjoy your food fearlessly!

You can implement mindful eating strategies easily, especially on the Almased Diet.

Need Inspiration? Take a look at Almased’s eye-candy to savor the inspiration.

Almased success story Gloria B. noticed this: “I have seen a tremendous difference in my weight and how I feel overall [with Almased]. I have more energy throughout the day, and I’m sleeping better. I don’t have cravings or hunger pangs.”

The Almased Weight Loss Phenomenon is more than a diet. It’s a solution.