Mindful Eating

Today, I wanted to take a break from snacks (more recipes will be coming soon) and introduce a concept that I think is not emphasized enough.  Sometimes we need to think not just about WHAT we eat, but HOW we eat.  Mindful eating was introduced to me by Jackie Erlandson, registered dietitian, super-mom, and all around amazing woman, a few years ago, and many of my patients have found it crucial to changing their eating habits.

Our culture has lost the connection between food and why we eat in many ways.  Teaching children mindful eating can help restore the way we were supposed to be eating all along.  There are four basic principles:

1.  Before you eat anything ask yourself  "AM I REALLY HUNGRY?"  We eat for so many reasons-because we're sad, because it's on the schedule, because we feel nostalgic, because we're bored...  I think this last one is especially true for kids.  I can't tell you the number of times that my son has said he is hungry, and if I respond with "would you like to play a game with Mommy" he enthusiastically says yes and forgets that the conversation started with him stating he is hungry. When children learn at an early age to eat for reasons besides their own hunger it changes their relationship with food and distorts how their body was intended to function.  If your kids are older consider having them make a list of 10-20 activities that they enjoy and placing it on the fridge.  Then teach them to ask themselves if they are really hungry any time they find themselves foraging the fridge or pantry for something to eat.  If the answer is actually no they have a handy list of other things to occupy their time.  If the answer is yes make sure the pantry and fridge are stocked with healthy choices.

2.  EAT AT THE TABLE WITH THE TV OFF.  This may seem like an obvious one, but today many families eat in the car or on the couch in front of the TV.  Our society encourages multitasking, but eating is something that should be done with focus. It allows us to listen to internal cues of fullness that might be ignored with distractions. It also facilitates family communication and relationships.  Children from families that share regular meals together have a lower risk of obesity, but they also have lower incidence of drug use, teen pregnancy, and school failure.  This simple step will improve not only your relationship with food, but your relationship with others.

3.  TAKE 2O MINUTES TO EAT.    It seems like we are always rushing somewhere.  I hate that I frequently feel like I'm hurrying my kids to school, gym, or piano, and having a type-A mom with a job who's involved in multiple community projects probably doesn't help matters.  Even with hectic schedules we make a concerted effort not to rush through meals.  When we eat too fast several things happen.  First, we miss the opportunities for the meaningful family time I mentioned previously.  In addition thought we don't give our bodies time to register feeling full and stop our selves from over eating.  If we want to learn to listen to our body we have to take the time to hear what its saying.

4.  STOP WHEN YOU FEEL SATISFIED.  I think this is the hardest concept to teach children, but adults get it almost immediately.  We've all eaten so much at some point that we feel like we are going to burst if we eat one more bite.  This is not healthy, and food was never intended to make us feel this way.  Not only have we overeaten, but then we feel so poorly that we are inactive the rest of the day.  Mostly this is a problem of portion size overload in American culture and restaurant sales tactics, but if children experience this and think it is how they are supposed to feel at the end of a meal it sets them up for a life of over eating.  Jackie uses an analogy when she talks with children to help them get a mental picture of how you should feel after a meal:  when you fill a glass with water to take to the table you don't fill it to the very top because if you did it would slosh over the sides and spill while you're moving it.  Instead you fill it until it is full but not overflowing.  This is how you should feel at the end of a meal-satisfied but not over full.

These are simple principles, but if you put them into action personally and with your kids they can change the way you think about food and your family will be healthier for it!  How else do you help teach your children to listen to their bodies instead of external cues about how they eat?