Mindfulness exercises may help with overeating.
Everyone has indulgent periods that lead to overeating. If it occurs occasionally, there is no cause for alarm. If it occurs frequently, you may question whether you have a problem with excess or a "food addiction." Before you become alarmed, know that neither of these is a recognized medical diagnosis. In fact, the existence of food addiction is the subject of intense debate.
If food addiction exists, it would be induced by a physiological process, and you would experience withdrawal symptoms if you stopped eating certain foods, such as those containing sugar. Helen Burton Murray, a psychologist and director of the Gastrointestinal Behavioural Health Programme at the Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital's Centre for Neurointestinal Health's Gastrointestinal Behavioural Health Programme, makes the distinction.
Many individuals do not realize they have overeaten until after they have finished their meal. Consequently, mindfulness exercises can assist you in maintaining reasonable portion sizes.
However, she urges you to seek professional assistance if your eating-related thoughts interfere with your daily functioning. Your primary care physician is an excellent starting point.
Mindfulness is the practice of being present in the present moment and observing the sensory inputs that bombard you. "At mealtime, consider how the food appears, tastes, and smells. What is the feel? What recollections does it evoke? How does it make you feel?" Burton Murray inquires.
By being mindful during meals, you will slow down your eating, pay closer attention to your body's hunger and fullness signals, and possibly avoid overeating.
"It forces you to pause and consider what you're eating, rather than going through the automatic process of seeing food, taking food, and eating it," says Burton Murray.
Prepare yourself for success in eating mindfully by:
Eliminating interruptions: Turn off your phones, televisions, and computers. Eat in a tranquil, uncluttered space.
Pace yourself during a twenty-minute supper. Slowly chew your food and rest your fork between pieces.
Additional mindfulness practices to attempt
Practice mindfulness when you are not consuming to strengthen your mindfulness "muscles." Here are exercises to help you do so.
Concentrated breathing.
"Inhale slowly and exhale slowly. With each inhalation, enable your stomach to expand. Allow your abdomen to expand with each exhalation, as Burton Murray explains. "This engages the diaphragm, which is connected to nerves between the brain and gut, and promotes relaxation."
Progressive muscle relaxation.
Everyone has indulgent periods that lead to overeating. If it occurs occasionally, there is no cause for alarm. If it occurs frequently, you may question whether you have a problem with excess or a "food addiction." Before you become alarmed, know that neither of these is a recognized medical diagnosis. In fact, the existence of food addiction is the subject of intense debate.
If food addiction exists, it would be induced by a physiological process, and you would experience withdrawal symptoms if you stopped eating certain foods, such as those containing sugar. Helen Burton Murray, a psychologist and director of the Gastrointestinal Behavioural Health Programme at the Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital's Centre for Neurointestinal Health's Gastrointestinal Behavioural Health Programme, makes the distinction.
Many individuals do not realize they have overeaten until after they have finished their meal. Consequently, mindfulness exercises can assist you in maintaining reasonable portion sizes.
However, she urges you to seek professional assistance if your eating-related thoughts interfere with your daily functioning. Your primary care physician is an excellent starting point.
Mindfulness is the practice of being present in the present moment and observing the sensory inputs that bombard you. "At mealtime, consider how the food appears, tastes, and smells. What is the feel? What recollections does it evoke? How does it make you feel?" Burton Murray inquires.
By being mindful during meals, you will slow down your eating, pay closer attention to your body's hunger and fullness signals, and possibly avoid overeating.
"It forces you to pause and consider what you're eating, rather than going through the automatic process of seeing food, taking food, and eating it," says Burton Murray.
Prepare yourself for success in eating mindfully by:
Eliminating interruptions: Turn off your phones, televisions, and computers. Eat in a tranquil, uncluttered space.
Pace yourself during a twenty-minute supper. Slowly chew your food and rest your fork between pieces.
Additional mindfulness practices to attempt
Practice mindfulness when you are not consuming to strengthen your mindfulness "muscles." Here are exercises to help you do so.
Concentrated breathing.
"Inhale slowly and exhale slowly. With each inhalation, enable your stomach to expand. Allow your abdomen to expand with each exhalation, as Burton Murray explains. "This engages the diaphragm, which is connected to nerves between the brain and gut, and promotes relaxation."
Progressive muscle relaxation.
In this exercise, you contract and relax one primary muscle group for 20 seconds at a time. Upon releasing a contraction, observe how the muscles feel as they unwind.
Even if it's only for five minutes, take a mindful walk.
Use your senses to take in your surroundings, suggests Burton Murray. What colors are the tree's leaves? Where are the ground's fissures, if they exist? What scent does the air carry? Do you feel a wind on your skin?
Engage in yoga or tai chi.
Both of these ancient martial arts techniques emphasize deep respiration and body awareness.
Keep a diary.
Document the specifics of your day. Include what your senses perceived, such as the sights, sounds, and scents you encountered, as well as the textures you felt.
Don't stress about being mindful throughout the day. Start with small increments and increase them progressively. The more mindful you are throughout the day, the more mindful you will be while eating. And you may find yourself in a better position to make decisions regarding the food you consume.
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