The Benefits of Practicing Mindful Eating
You know what they say, “you are what you eat” — and I would argue, how you eat.
Over the last several months, I’ve worked one-on-one with my new friend, Mackenzie Luttrell, who is studying to become a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner through the Nutritional Therapy Association. For the program, she is required to go through the clinical process with a few practice clients — which includes me! Throughout the process of working together, she completed a thorough evaluation, provided recommendations, and offered ongoing support. Plus, Mackenzie created a personalized diet plan for me as a result of the issues I was experiencing.
And man, did I have issues. I won’t go into too much detail, but I haven’t felt truly well in the digestion/stomach area for well over a year now. Deep down, I knew changes had to take place, but I didn’t have an excuse or concrete reason to go ahead and make those changes. After an extensive evaluation, she asked me to temporarily cut out dairy, sugar, alcohol and coffee to see how it affected my body over the course of 3–4 weeks. But there were so many other practices she shared that solidified the digestive improvements I was feeling with those things removed from my diet. And they don’t have to do with elimination or strict eating at all — it’s about a mindset shift and small, basic changes in the way I go about eating meals. And after three weeks of this new way of eating, I can honestly report: it has dramatically changed the way I feel, both mentally and physically.
It’s all about mindful eating.
I hadn’t really put together how intertwined these practices were with the “slow living” movement until a few days into it. Mindful eating is all about sitting down to truly enjoy your meal, savoring every flavor, dwelling on every bite, and giving your body a chance to absorb the nutrients you are feeding it. This has changed the way I experience food — and more importantly, how my body digests it.
Today, I’m sharing the “mindful eating” practices I’ve implemented throughout the month and their purposes, based on what Mackenzie has shared with me and other research I’ve done on the topic. I’m no expert or medical professional by any means, but I have quickly become an expert on my own body and how it reacts to certain things (by the way, I highly recommend paying attention to your body — it’s something I neglected for so many years!).
Mindful Eating Practices:
Eat while seated. Avoid eating on the go, like in the car or while standing up. Instead, carve out 20-30 minutes to sit down with your meal at a table. It’s also healthy to eat with others, engaging in conversation and enjoying the meal together.
Turn off distractions. Try not to look at your phone, watch TV, answer emails or do something else while eating. Distracted eating has been linked to slowed down or stopped digestion, similar to how the “fight or flight” response works. Pushing away all the noise helps you appreciate and focus on each bite.
Take a few breaths before starting. This sounds strange, but Mackenzie explained that smooth digestion starts with your mind. The mind and gut are so interconnected, as the state of your mind can often determine how well your body will process food. That’s why it’s important to eat while in a calm state of mind.
Chew food slowly and thoroughly. Before this, I was so guilty of speed eating, which I believe contributed to much of my stomach issues. Take one bite at a time, thoroughly chewing on it, and set your fork down between bites to slow the process. This allows your body to notify your brain when it is full, at which point you should stop eating.
Drink water strategically. This involves avoiding drinking water 30 minutes before you eat and 30 minutes after you eat. Otherwise, drink LOTS of water slowly throughout the day. This helps tremendously with your digestive system — and just about everything else under the sun. You should aim to drink at least half your body weight in ounces per day.
Be thoughtful about what you’re eating. This diet plan was never about elimination for me; it’s about adding in whole, healthy foods. Mackenzie helped me put together meals with balanced macronutrients (protein, healthy fats and carbohydrates), which I had not been doing before whatsoever. Eating three balanced meals a day has helped me maintain a steady energy and positive mood throughout the day — and I can honestly say I never experienced hunger once during this process. Before this, I was reaching for snacks every afternoon and again late at night.
Consider where your food comes from. Avoid processed foods as much as possible, and opt for fresh, locally sourced foods, like fruits, vegetables and meat, whenever possible. Our mindfulness can start well before food ever hits our plate! It’s smart to stick mostly to the outsides of the grocery store, where produce and other real food lives.
Pay attention to how food makes you feel. Like I mentioned, I’ve historically ignored how my body feels in response to food. Pay close attention to how your body reacts to various foods. You might just notice patterns of irritation or discomfort.
Right now, an ideal day in the life of mindful eating looks like this for me:
7 a.m. | Wake up
7–7:15 a.m. | Drink hot lemon water (helps you wake up naturally and helps your digestive system and liver!)
7:45–8:15 a.m. | Breakfast
8:15 a.m. | Get ready
9 a.m. | Start work
Drink 24+ ounces of water
12–12:30 p.m. | Lunch
Drink 24+ ounces of water
6 p.m. | Dinner
Drink 24+ ounces of water
10 p.m. | Go to bed
And an ideal meal (specifically breakfast) with balanced macros would look like this:
Roasted or sauteed sweet potatoes
Sauteed kale or other greens
Fried egg
Sliced avocado
As I move forward, I plan on bringing two of the four eliminated “foods” back into my life in thoughtful ways: alcohol and coffee. Otherwise, I hope to mostly eliminate dairy and avoid sugar as much as possible (if you need any convincing that sugar is horrible for us all, watch Fed Up on Netflix and That Sugar Film on Prime Video).
But aside from that, I plan on practicing mindful eating for the rest of my life. I’ve seen such drastic changes in the ways I feel — and I can’t imagine going back to speed eating carbo-loaded meals (I was severely lacking in protein and healthy fats before this started). Again, it’s not about food restriction or elimination diets; this is about fueling my body with healthy, real foods — and giving it a chance to properly soak up as many nutrients as possible.
It’s also worth mentioning the strong correlation between mindful eating and the sustainability/slow living movement. There are no shortcuts or quick fixes to achieving true holistic health, much like true sustainability takes the slower, less-traveled path — one that requires thought, intention and going against the grain. Neither bow down to the world’s fast-paced consumption mindset, and neither should we.
What about you?
Are you a mindful eater? If so, what benefits have you seen? I’m just a few weeks into this journey myself, and would love to hear how it’s helped you personally!