Last week I talked a lot about chocolate. If you decided to join the challenge, how did you get on? (I know I made it extra hard by doing these posts over Easter!)
This time I am going to share the second thing I did. This builds on what I talked about last week when I talked about thinking about what I was going to eat. I also focussed on enjoying the food that I was actually eating.
I tried to enjoy food SLOWLY.
This was probably the hardest thing I did. It is not easy to slow down when you are trying to grab something to eat between feeding, changing nappies, rocking baby to sleep and the endless loads of washing. I often had to eat standing up holding my baby too as my youngest loves to sleep at night but is only just (at 6 months) learning how to have daytime naps unless she’s being walked in the buggy.
Despite this, I tried to think about what I was eating and enjoy each mouthful. Again I focussed on enjoying food. I tried to focus on how the food felt in my mouth, what it looked like, what it tasted like. This is a technique known as mindful eating.
I also tried to chew my food properly (this also helped me not feel so bloated after eating) and to take a moment between mouthfuls too. Sometimes the moment between mouthfuls was just so I could pick baby up or adjust my positioning!
Because I slowed down, not only was the meal more enjoyable which is great for mental health and the link with our gut but also my body had a chance to realise it was full so I was less likely to eat more than I needed to.
You might think this is the same as last week. The difference is subtle. The difference is last week the focus was on which foods to choose. This week’s focus is on the eating of those foods. The more I practise (and I am still practising) thinking about what I am eating and chewing more, the more it becomes a habit when I don’t have to work so hard at it.
Why not have a go this week?
Disclaimer – this article is intended for information purposes only and doesn’t replace personalised advice.
If you would like personalised nutrition advice, why not book a consultation