Mindful Eating

course syllabus for Your Well-Being online health and wellness education course

Course Outline

Main Ideas

Learning Objective

Being mindful of how we eat improves our relationship with food and the effects it has on, both, physical and mental health.

Behavioral Objective

Pay attention to what is going on when you eat and keep track of what leads to the reactions you want to be having.

Key Thought

Don't just think about what you put in your body, but include how and why.

Main Ideas

Learning Objective

Being mindful of how we eat improves our relationship with food and the effects it has on, both, physical and mental health.

Behavioral Objective

Pay attention to what is going on when you eat and keep track of what leads to the reactions you want to be having.

Key Thought

Don't just think about what you put in your body, but include how and why.

Terms

Distraction

noun

1. A thing that prevents someone from giving full attention to something else. "The company found passenger travel a distraction from the main business of moving freight"
2. Extreme agitation of the mind or emotions. "He knew she was nervous by her uncharacteristic air of distraction"

Emotional Intelligence

noun

Skill in perceiving, understanding, and managing emotions and feelings.

Meditate

verb

1. To engage in thought or contemplation; reflect.
2.To consider as something to be done or effected; intend; purpose.

Mindfulness

noun

1. The quality or state of being conscious or aware of something. "Their mindfulness of the wider cinematic tradition"
2. A mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.

Perspective

noun

A mental view or prospect.

Terms

Distraction

noun

1. A thing that prevents someone from giving full attention to something else. "The company found passenger travel a distraction from the main business of moving freight"
2. Extreme agitation of the mind or emotions. "He knew she was nervous by her uncharacteristic air of distraction"

Emotional Intelligence

noun

Skill in perceiving, understanding, and managing emotions and feelings.

Meditate

verb

1. To engage in thought or contemplation; reflect.
2.To consider as something to be done or effected; intend; purpose.

Mindfulness

noun

1. The quality or state of being conscious or aware of something. "Their mindfulness of the wider cinematic tradition"
2. A mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.

Perspective

noun

A mental view or prospect.

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Activities

Introduction

Go, go, go! In this high-paced world we've build to ourselves it feels like there's very little time to sit down and enjoy things. We need to get from A to Z, no time for distractions and no time to think. But, which is actually the distraction and which one is the goal? Health or Work? We work to make money to take care of our health, but are we meeting the right needs? Fast food is popular because it's fast, so we don't have time to think about it. Even though time keeps moving and we move on to the next meal when the next convenience or demand arises, what we fuel ourselves with and how we do so still matters. When kids carve their initials in a tree, even though the tree continues to grow large and strong, it remembers and a scar is left. We don't always get to see the results immediately but that doesn't mean something hasn't started to go wrong. Taking the time to be mindful of your plate could very well be what's missing in your relationship with food.

What is Mindful Eating?

Mindful eating is a practice of staying present in your body while consuming food and drink. Mindful eating requires careful observation and acknowledgement of the physical and emotional hunger cues, the taste and sensation of the food, and the fullness you feel. This technique can be used to improve relationship with food, make healthier food choices, improve digestion, and even reduce anxiety and depression.

Our fast-paced society is in a constant state of rushing from one task to another and eating is often done quickly and without much thought. On top of that we are constantly surrounded by distractions; television, computers, smartphones, and more. This is problematic because eating fast and distracted can cause us to miss our fullness cues or not feel them until it's too late.

Mindful eating starts in the grocery store shopping for food, continues while cooking the food, and all the way through finishing your meal.

How to Practice Mindful Eating:

Center yourself before eating a meal with a few deep breaths.
Take a few minutes to determine why you are eating, no judgement!
Reference the Hunger Scale before, during, and after.
Put your utensil down between each bite.
Give gratitude for the food in front of you.
Start with five minute increments of practice.
Chew each bite thoroughly.
Eat in silence; no TV, music, or podcasts.
Check in with your emotions before, during, and after.
Stop eating when you are full.

This practice does not happen overnight. It requires effort and energy. Giving yourself grace and working it into your routine slowly can help. Start by taking a deep breath and dropping your shoulders before sitting down to eat or eating one snack per day in total silence. These small changes are the building blocks to a sustainable shift in the way you experience one of life's basic necessities.

The Hunger Scale

Beyond hungry: you may have a headache and experience dizziness and a lack of concentration. Your body feels totally out of energy and you need to lie down.
You feel irritable and cranky, with little energy. You may also feel nauseous.
Your stomach feels empty and the urge to eat is strong.
You start to think about food. Your body is giving you the signal that you might want to eat.
Your body has had enough food to keep going and is physically and psychologically just starting to feel satisfied.
You are totally satisfied and full.
You are feeling past the point of satisfaction, yet you can still find room for a little more. Your body might say no but your mind says yes, so you take a few more bites.
Your stomach is starting to really ache. You know you shouldn't have had more, but it tasted so good.
You now feel really uncomfortable, heavy, tired, and bloated.
Beyond full: you are physically miserable, don't want to or can't move, and feel like you never want to look at food again.

*Most people can enjoy food and eat comfortably from 3-6, see what feels best for you!

Mind on the Meal

Make a list of things you do when you eat and how they effect your meal. Include a side note of which things you'd consider routines or which relate to an external factor.

Empty Plate, Mind Full

Remove a different distraction from one meal a day. For example, if you regularly watch tv with dinner, take one night to turn it off or the volume down. Another day, put your phone on the charger and leave it there. If you can't take a distraction away then, with a deep breath, put the fork down between every other bite.

Discussion Assignment

Please share your thoughts in the Discussion Forum about what you decided, learned or experienced. We encourage you to comment on what others have shared and to ask questions.