arts&life

eat right now

Practicing
mindfulness can
help improve your
eating habits.

Stacy Goldberg

Contributing Writer

W

hether you’re working, eating or
exercising, mindfulness plays
a key role in self-awareness.
Mindfulness is “the quality or state of
being conscious or aware of something,” or
“a mental state achieved by focusing one’s
awareness on the present moment, while
calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s
feelings, thoughts and bodily sensations.”
Essentially, mindfulness is characterized
by uninterrupted focus on any activity and
is often used as a therapeutic technique.
Eliminating external and internal distrac-
tions enables one to focus on only their
thoughts and emotions.
Research shows many health ben-
efits to practicing mindfulness, includ-
ing decreased stress; increased energy;
enhanced creativity; better focus; reducing
brain chatter; creating better connections
with people and surroundings; and allow-
ing for better understanding of pain.
Studies also show a relationship
between mindfulness and eating behavior.
When practicing mindfulness, individu-
als experience an enhanced sense of self-
control and pay closer attention to fullness
cues. Mindful eating implies awareness of
the senses, body and mind while eating. This
allows people to focus on the act of eating:
observing taste and texture, recognizing
unconscious eating habits and tuning in to
satiety triggers — feelings of fullness and
satisfaction while eating.

THE CENTER FOR MINDFUL EATING
DEFINES MINDFUL EATING AS:
• Allowing yourself to be aware of the
positive and nurturing opportunities
available through food preparation and
consumption by respecting your own
inner wisdom.
• Choosing to eat food that is both pleas-
ing to you and nourishing to your body
by using all your senses to explore, savor
and taste.
• Acknowledging responses to food (likes,
neutral or dislikes) without judgment.
• Learning to be aware of physical hunger
and satiety cues to guide your decision to
begin and stop eating.

SOMEONE WHO EATS MINDFULLY:
• Acknowledges there is no right or wrong
way to eat, but varying degrees of aware-
ness surrounding the experience of food.
• Accepts that his eating experiences are
unique. Is an individual who, by choice,
directs his awareness to all aspects of food
and eating on a moment-by-moment basis.
• Is an individual who looks at the immedi-
ate choices and direct experiences associ-
ated with food and eating, not to the dis-
tant health outcome of that choice.
• Is aware of and reflects on the effects
caused by unmindful eating.
• Experiences insight about how he can
act to achieve specific health goals as
he becomes more attuned to the direct
experience of eating and feelings of

health.
• Becomes aware of the interconnection of
Earth, living beings and cultural practices
and the impact his food choices has on
those systems.

STOMACH HUNGER VS.
HEAD HUNGER?
Eating mindfully requires pausing before
taking a bite or sip, whether it be a snack,
meal or beverage. This can be before you
open the refrigerator at your office or grab
the nearest candy bar in line at Old Navy!
Here are some questions to ask your-
self before your eating or drinking com-
mences:
• Am I eating because I am hungry or
bored? Stressed? Angry? Depressed?
• Am I passing the time during the work
day rather than focusing on my tasks?
• Am I celebrating a positive situation such
as a promotion at work with food?
• Am I consoling a disappointment by giv-
ing myself permission to eat freely?
• Is my stomach growling and blood sugar
dropping? Does my body need nourish-
ment (stomach hunger), or am I looking
for a distraction (head hunger)? •

Stacy Goldberg is a nationally recognized nutritional
consultant, registered nurse and the CEO of Savorfull
(savorfull.com), a Detroit-based company that
sources healthy, allergen-friendly foods and provides
nutrition-consulting. Savorfull is part of the Quicken
Loans Family of Companies.

NO INFORMATION PROVIDED THROUGH STACY GOLDBERG/SAVORFULL IS INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE. YOU
SHOULD ALWAYS SPEAK WITH YOUR PHYSICIAN OR OTHER HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL BEFORE TAKING ANY MEDICATION OR NUTRITIONAL, HERBAL OR
HOMEOPATHIC SUPPLEMENT, OR ADOPTING ANY TREATMENT OR IMPLEMENTING NUTRITIONAL ADVICE FOR A HEALTH PROBLEM.

Mind Your
Nutrition

stacy’s strategies for mindful eating

Summer is an excellent time to focus on
mindful eating strategies. Try these sugges-
tions to help you focus on mindful eating:
• Consider taking a walk to blow off steam or
a power nap to refresh yourself and renew
your mind.
• Practice mindfulness through meditation,
yoga and physical exercise.
• Eat slowly, taking note of your food’s many
flavors and textures. Chew thoughtfully,
reflecting on the food’s journey from farm

36

July 20 • 2017

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to table. While you eat, pay close atten-
tion to your body’s signals. When you feel
full, put your fork down and pause. This
mindfulness tip will prevent overeating and
potential weight gain.
• Instead of aimlessly reaching into a bag or
container, serve food on a plate. Doing so
allows you to clearly see what you are put-
ting into your body.
• Disconnect from technology when eating
a snack or a meal. Put your phone down,

close your laptop and turn off the TV when
eating. When distracted by screens and
eating on auto-pilot, you are more inclined
to indulge. Use this time to appreciate your
food and connect with the people you are
sharing a meal with.
• Use technology-based apps to assist in
your mindful eating goals, such as: In The
Moment — Mindful Eating; Mindful Eating
Tracker; Eat, Chew, Rest; Headspace; and
Cal m.

