Mindful Eating: A Healthy Relationship With Food

April is Stress Awareness Month! Right now, I want to explore the link between stress and your food. I am a big proponent of gut health because I know how much the gut impacts the function of the entire body. But another thing that impacts your entire body is stress -- and I want to tell you about the connection between stress, your gut, and your overall health.

Stress affects the way your gut digests food. We’re all familiar with this unpleasant experience: You’re feeling panicked about an urgent bad situation that makes your heart pump faster and your stomach feel tense and sick. If you have just eaten, your food feels like it’s not digesting, which is why you feel sick. This kind of situation is one way that stress affects your digestion, but there is also another way.

Unlike acute stress, which is stress caused by an immediate, short-term bad situation, chronic stress is less intense but it continues for days, weeks, or much longer. Chronic stress is caused by an ongoing bad situation, and it weighs down on you over time. In fact, some people have chronic stress that has lasted so long, they’ve become used to it and they don’t know it’s there. Stress causes your body to spend less of its resources digesting food because it’s stuck on high alert, in “fight or flight” mode. That means that chronic stress will continuously hamper your digestion over a long period of time!

Stress can change your appetite, too. It can make you want to eat when you’re not actually hungry. Maybe you tend to quickly reach for food whenever you’re sad or worried, even during times when your body doesn’t really need food. It doesn’t logically make sense for you to eat in those moments, but emotionally, it feels right. Do you have this habit? If so, you are far from alone. It is very common for people to do this.

If stress causes problems for your gut and plays tricks on your appetite, what can you do about it? The answer is a concept called “mindful eating.” The Center for Mindful Eating defines the term as “Allowing yourself to become aware of the positive and nurturing opportunities that are available through food selection and preparation by respecting your own inner wisdom.” This relates to the concept of “mindfulness,” which the CME defines as “being aware of your thoughts, emotions and physical sensations in the present moment.” So let’s look at some ways to put mindfulness into practice in relation to your eating.

Be aware of your hunger - Mindfulness is all about staying in the present moment and noticing your current feelings. When you start thinking about food, stop and ask yourself: “Am I really hungry right now, or is there a different problem?” If you realize you aren’t hungry, try a mood-boosting activity like listening to music, stretching, taking a walk, reading a book, doodling, or journaling.

Practice gratitude for your food - Gratitude benefits you emotionally in many ways, and your food is no exception. Before eating, stop for a second and appreciate the food you are about to eat. You can say a prayer of thanks, think positive thoughts, or just take a moment to smile and breathe -- whatever feels good for you!

Sit down and eat slowly - Eating while standing or moving around makes you feel busy, rushed, and tense. Instead, sit down and let your muscles relax while eating so that you will feel less stressed. Be sure to chew slowly and thoroughly. Food that has been thoroughly chewed is easier to digest, making it less likely that you’ll have bloating, gas, and discomfort.

Be aware of when you are full - One mistake a lot of people make is that they make an effort to eat all the food on their plate, or an entire container of food. They feel the need to complete what’s in front of them instead of leaving something unfinished. But it’s good to be mindful of your body when it tells you it’s no longer hungry, and stop eating when you’re full. You can save the unfinished food for later so it doesn’t get wasted.

If you develop mindful eating habits, you will have a healthier relationship with food. This is good for your gut, and it’s also good for your emotional health! Food is a wonderful thing that is there to help us, not hurt us. We can all enjoy the benefits of food in a way that is both physically and emotionally healthy.