What you need to know about mindful eating

Mindful eating is a term that perhaps you have been hearing more often than not, in the last few months, and now, you've stumbled upon the ideal article for understanding it. 

Mindful eating is the act of transforming the simple & daily task of eating into a more aware, appreciative, and conscious moment. It’s assessing and taking into consideration your physical and emotional senses while you enjoy your food. Mindful eating encourages us to make our food choices based on ingredients that will nourish our bodies and satisfy our appetites. 

Where does mindful eating come from? 

Mindful eating is an ancient practice that traces back centuries of philosophy and religion, it originates from Hindu and Buddhist cultures. The term stems from mindfulness - which is the practice of intentionally focusing on one’s thoughts, feelings, environment, and physical sensations in a non-judgmental way; this allows the individual to learn more about themselves and feel more confident. 

A practice rather than a diet 

Rather than restricting yourself to specific food categories and the amount of it that you consume like in modern diet culture, mindful eating focuses on helping you to create a better relationship between what enters your body and you. At the end of the day, how you treat yourself reflects on you and your health. We must honor our bodies by having a healthy relationship with food, exercise, and reset moments. 

How does eating mindfully reflect back to the planet? 

Our eating habits affect way more things than we actually are aware of, like:

• Reduces food waste: Eating mindfully makes us more conscious of our portion sizes ultimately leading us to appreciate it more. This awareness contributes to not overeating and throwing away food. 
• Mindful eating involves choosing foods that will ultimately have a positive effect on our health. We recommend opting for natural and non-processed foods when cooking meals. 
• Being aware of how and where our food is produced can reduce our environmental footprint and support more eco-friendly agricultural practices.

Some tips to start eating mindfully:

• Pause and contemplate before meals, consider putting away electronic devices, and focus on setting intentions for your food. 
• Plate your portions instead of eating directly from its packaging whenever feasible; it's more challenging to fully appreciate your food when it's not visible.

• Chew thoroughly, and take the time to enjoy whatever is in front of you, chewing between 20-30 times each bite will allow you to digest better and prevent you from overeating. 

Overall we recommend being kind to yourself by eating from a place of love, so many little habits can be developed by you daily, to positively change your life. Zenko Superfoods is here to motivate you and ease your journey of conscious eating.

Collab with: Eimy. M. Santos