Hey! Slow down...be mindful.
Are you running out the door with breakfast in hand? Finally getting some downtime after a stressful day to have dinner with your favorite TV show? Or, need a little snack break when you’re bored or procrastinating? Studies show that the top 3 reasons that people don’t eat at a table are poor time management, emotional eating and boredom. Imagine how much you eat on the go everyday. Here are 3 reasons why you might want to take a seat at the table.
1. You’ll eat less when you pay attention to what you’re eating
At least 25% of the food that we eat are in the form of snacks, and this doesn’t include the breakfast on the go or the dinner you eat in the car on the way to the kid’s soccer practice. If you eat all your meals and snacks while seated at a table, you will be more aware of what and how much you are eating. This will lead to healthier decisions.
Heard of mindful eating? Mindful eating is eating with a purpose, with a complete awareness of what and why we are eating it. An example of mindful eating would be sitting down with friends and family for dinner and good conversation. But, mindless eating would be the bag of chips you eat while watching TV when you’re not even hungry. The first step to mindful eating would be to assess your place on the hunger scale. We should never feel like we are starving or that we are full. We should eat at the first sign of hunger and stop eating at the first sign of satisfaction. Use the hunger scale below to help you! To be aware of our hunger, we also need to avoid distractions. Studies show that those who practice mindful eating consume less calories.
THE HUNGER SCALE
1 Extremely hungry, starving, feeling weak, need to lay down
2 Very hungry, irritable, everything looks and sounds good
3 Hungry, stomach is growling
4 Getting hungry, ready to eat
5 Neither hungry or full
6 Physical sensation of full
7 Feels satisfied with fullness, hunger is gone, time to stop eating
8 Full, slightly stuffed, do not want anything else to eat
9 Very full, stuffed, uncomfortable, holiday full
10 Extremely full, painful, may feel sick
2. You’ll eat slower and improve digestion
Studies show that people with obesity tend to eat faster. Eating slower allows time for your stomach and brain to send the proper signals that you feel satisfied and full. Sitting at a table without distractions except a relaxing conversation with family helps you eat slower.
3. You'll enjoy more family time and the art of eating
You don't have to eat every meal with your family, but studies show that even eating 3 meals per week with your family results in many benefits including a lower Body Mass Index (BMI) for the entire family. It also allows you and your family to have a healthy appreciation of food. This is a good time to reinforce which foods make your kids strong and fast. It also allows everyone to enjoy the colors, flavors, smells, and textures of each food without distraction.
pillarMD plan
Make time for meals during your day-account for at least 5-10 minutes for breakfast and 20 minutes for lunch and dinner each.
Avoid all distractions including work, TV, and reading while eating. Have a relaxing conversation instead with your family or a quiet moment alone while you eat.
Avoid eating snacks altogether. If you do want a snack, make sure to pick a low carbohydrate option, put it on a plate, and eat it at the table without any distractions.
Need to feed the kids in less than 10 minutes before soccer practice? Start by avoiding overbooking the family. Allow for extra downtime between events. If you’re in a pinch, consider packing a picnic the day before. The kids will love eating outside on a blanket before practice
Do not eat in the car.
Stay hydrated. If you want to reach for a snack out of boredom, try a cup of coffee, tea, or water.
Use a small plate or portion plate to help you remember to eat more veggies and less carbs.
Use a smaller spoon or chopsticks to help slow you down as well.
Try eating with your non-dominant hand. A study showed that this could reduce your intake by up to 30%.