Eat Slowly & Mindfully
Why is it important?
Slow eating is essential for great digestion and satiety -that sense of fullness we get after completing a full meal.It takes about 20-30 minutes for our body to recognize that we have had enough food. But most of us finish our meals in 10 minutes or less because we’re so busy with everything else happening in our lives. Hustle culture is real and eating too quickly is one of the many ways it shows up in our fitness & wellness practices. Eating slowly andmindfully is a conscious decision to reject those harmful consequences of grind culture and chooseto interrupt them by operating from a place of wellness.
When we rush eating we become less aware of our hunger cues, how our bodies may be interacting with food, and we impede our digestion process. Taking our time to eat is shown to lead to consuming less because our bodies have time to register that they are full. It naturally reduces the likelihood of eating more than we need, which is essential for sustainable weight loss and/or toning.
What does it involve?
● Set a timer to pace yourself during meals. Intentionally slow down your eating process so that it takes at least 20 minutes to complete.
● Put your utensil down between bites.
● Chew until your solid food feels liquid.
● Take a sip of water between bites.
● Breathe!
● Enjoy a conversation with those you’re sharing a meal with.
● Focus on being present and enjoying your meal with limited distractions.
● Experiment with eating without your cell phone, TV, laptop or any distractions.
● Find the slowest eater in the room and match their pace!
● Identify what triggers fast-paced eating (the people you’re eating with, the time of day you’re eating, the food you’re eating, where you’re eating). Noticing and naming these triggers can help you to make choices that benefit your optimal health and wellness.
How will I know I’ve done it properly?
Aim to practice slow eating for at least 1 meal per day. If you’ve slowed down your pace to the point where you’re either:
● taking a minimum of 5 more minutes to complete a meal than where you began or
● you’re taking at least 20 minutes to complete a meal then you’ve successfully practiced slow eating on that particular day. When you accomplish this task then mark this behavior as DONE on your dashboard.
How do I know when it’s time to move on?
Remember, every new behavior has to be intentional before it becomes organic. So set up reminders, notes and positive triggers to help you to incorporate this new practice into your life. You’ll be ready to move to your next habit once you begin practicingthis behavior consistently for 80% of a month.
Go and make space for BLAQUE movement!