We are in the midst of a world-wide epidemic – obesity. This condition affects more than 150 million adults and children in the US alone and is increasing at an alarming rate. Whether you are obese yourself or helping a loved one who is, eating mindfully can help resolve its many challenges.
Watching what you eat
Eating mindfully means paying attention to the kind of food you are eating.
Increasing fruits and vegetables in your diet is essential for better health. Fruits and vegetable are low in fat and high in Vitamin A, C, and fiber. Fruits, in fact, contain 15 grams of carbohydrates per serving while non-starchy vegetables contain only 5 grams of carbs, few calories and plenty of minerals and vitamins. You can find ways to eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables every day, through salads, snacks, and main dishes.
That being said, here are some tips to incorporate them into your diet. First, plan your meals for the entire week. Take a few minutes to assemble the food items. Take advantage of the weekends or the time you have during weekdays to cook large quantities and freeze enough portions for future meals. This way you are aware of what you are eating for the whole week. Cook once and serve three to four time. Plan for the leftovers because fruits and vegetables don’t get stale quickly.
Being in the right place
People who are on a weight loss regime may feel anxious at times, but some people may feel even more intensely, especially if they are eating in a surrounding that triggers their anxiety. So many things may be happening while you are at the table for dinner. The noise level in the room may be high or someone in the family is an enabler and can’t resist feeding you constantly. Your anxiety level may skyrocket while asking yourself these questions “Will I ever lose weight and live a healthy life?” So choose a spot where you can think only about the food you are eating and nothing else. When you are on a healthy diet and eating mindfully, your mood shouldn’t hover around things beyond your plate.
Soothing your mind
It is important to understand that our thoughts create emotional reactions that trigger depression and anger. In the past, you may have used food to deal with uncomfortable feelings. But now that you want to be on a diet, your emotions need to be in check. Everyone feels sad when they are overweight or obese. They feel hopeless and helpless every now and then. The cause of this kind of feeling is usually clear, other times it is not so obvious. Sometimes, however, the unhappy feeling stems from the fact that they are not adjusting their mind to the food they are eating. Eating mindfully means enjoying food in a way that it feels tasty and healthy. It can be hard to relax the mind after many years of binge eating when you are on a restricted diet. But it does more harm than good when you are not in a joyful mood before food.
Complementing your Diet
A healthful and balanced diet gives all the nutrients and energy that your body needs. Eating mindfully will make the experience a pleasant one. But sometimes, food needs to be complemented with supplements in order to achieve that balance and compensate for any lost nutritional value in the food. Supplements not only provide energy but improve your sleep quality and duration as well. For example, Heal-N-Soothe is a combination of 12 natural extracts that are used as a supplement for good health and well-being. Other supplements in the form of pills and liquid are available at most health stores. The basic idea behind organic nutritional supplements is to consume the bulk of your needed calories, vitamins and minerals without any side effects.