SAVOUR THE FLAVOUR
Humans are masters
of distraction – just
put on an episode of
This Is Us and we can
plough through a bag
of almonds without a
second thought. When it
comes to losing weight,
careless eating habits
might be standing in
your way.
fast-growing body of research
suggests that a slower, more
thoughtful way of eating
could help with weight
issues. Mindful eating
is based on the Buddhist
concept of mindfulness:
the process of
bringing your mind
to experience the present, usually done
through meditation and other practices.
Now, no one is suggesting that you
meditate at each meal; mindful eating
is merely about paying attention to the
food you’re eating while you’re eating
it – noticing the colours and smells,
experiencing the textures and savouring
the flavours of what you put in your
mouth. And when you’re eating low-carb,
that’s a lot.
‘When you eat, put all of your attention
on the food, without judgement,’ saysKlasie Wessels, a personal development
logotherapist and mindfulness guide. ‘If
you eat in front of the TV or behind your
laptop, you’re going to be oblivious.
You’re just stuffing food down your
throat, basically.’
Research conducted by the Eat
Smart, Move More, Weigh Less program
at North Carolina State University
showed a beneficial link between paying
attention to hunger and fullness cues
through mindfulness and weight loss.
In 2016, 80 people participated in a
study in which half designed their own
diet and the other
half engaged in
daily meditation.
Participants took
a class from a live
instructor at the
same time each
week – either on
a computer or
mobile device.
Researchers
then measured
their level of
mindfulness by
getting each
participant to fill out the Mindful
Eating Questionnaire – a 28-point
survey that assessed five domains of
mindful eating, including paying
attention to fullness cues, planning
meals and snacks, eating as a singular
activity as opposed to eating whileVOLUME 30 LOSE IT! 25