Eating mindfully
May 28, 2020 | By MultiCare Health System
Finding yourself wandering into the kitchen more frequently and rustling through the cupboards in search of a snack? Aim to do the following to help reduce the urge for mindless eating:
- Keep your hands busy by trying out a new hobby such as knitting, cross stitching or journaling.
- Try a protein-based “dessert” to satisfy that sweet craving at night. An example could be Vanilla Greek yogurt with cocoa powder and vanilla extract. Feel free to add your own nutrient-dense toppings like peanut butter, berries, chia seeds and/or flax seeds.
- Make sure you’re eating enough during the day so you’re not starving by dinner time and after dinner.
- “Close up shop” by cleaning the kitchen after dinner, making a cup of herbal tea and mentally and physically knowing the kitchen is closed for the night.
Recommended reading
- Eating Mindfully: How to End Mindless Eating and Enjoy a Balanced Relationship with Food by Susan Albers
- Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Program that Works by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch
- Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life by Thich Nhat Hanh and Lilian Cheung
- Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think by Brian Wansink
- Mindful Eating: A Guide to Rediscovering a Healthy and Joyful Relationship with Food by Jan Chozen Bays
- Harvest for Hope: A Guide to Mindful Eating by Jane Goodall, Gary McAvoy and Gail Hudson
- Meal by Meal: 365 Daily Meditations for Finding Balance Through Mindful Eating by Donald Altman
- The Self-Compassion Diet: Guided Practices to Lose Weight with Loving-Kindness by Jean Fain
