Mindful Eating - It Is Good For Your Body

I am a reformed fast eater – a previous “gobbler”. I wouldn't go as far as saying that I have fully mastered mindful eating but...

It’s not easy to slow down when you are as impatient as I am, but I’m getting there. I still have to remind myself – often in mid-chew - to take the time to really taste what I’m eating and to give my digestive system a fair chance to deal with the food that is heading its way.

It is important to eat slowly and chew well if you want to lose weight. You will feel comfortably full on less food if you eat slowly. Compare that to a feeling of acute discomfort as your stomach struggles with a large amount of food that you’ve gobbled up.

Been there, done that – far too many times!

I definitely need less food to satisfy my appetite since slowing down - and my stomach is much happier and less “vocal” nowadays.

Be kind to your tummy and your tummy will be kind to you. When you eat slowly and chew well your taste buds have time to tell your brain what is on the way down to your stomach. It gives your brain – clever little thing that it is – the chance to prepare the correct mix of digestive juices needed to break down this particular food.

Apart from eating slowly to help you lose weight, it’s good to be aware of when your digestive system is performing at its best. Peak performance time for our digestive systems is apparently between 1 and 3 pm.

While we need breakfast to refuel our energy stores, a lot of people say that lunch is the best time for the biggest meal of the day.

If you eat a heavy meal in the evening – when your digestive system is much less active and most of us are winding down – the food is at risk of being mostly stored as fat.

If you take a walk after an evening meal though, it’ll re-start an otherwise naturally sluggish digestion at this time of the day.

There is so much talk these days about the importance of being mindful - of "being in the moment". So be good to yourself and your body. Take time to not only smell the flowers but really appreciate the food you are eating.

Happy munching everyone.

PS! Apart from my usual supplements, I am now also indulging in Baobab powder every day (I mix a couple of teaspoons of the powder with a small glass of water but you can also add it to porridge, yogurt or a smoothie).

Baobab (it is pronounced bey-oh-bab) is an African fruit which has a very high fibre content and is rich in antioxidants, vitamin C, calcium and potassium. It is also high in magnesium and iron.

“So long as you have food in your mouth, you have solved all questions for the time being.” Franz Kafka

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