Mindful eating might be the key to losing weight
Being mindful of what you are eating might be the secret to preventing overeating and obesity, according to a new study by Australian researchers.
The team from Griffith University observed the psychological and emotional connection to food and eating in 312 individuals. They found that being able to control your emotions and impulses may help stop overeating; furthermore, those who were mindful eaters had better food managemet. The women in the study were worse at regulating overeating than men. The study concluded that your emotional state can be the trigger that breaks the capacity to control your diet rationally, according to Start Sat 60.
“Mindful eating is taking the practice of mindfulness and applying it to eating,” said Emory internist Dr. Sharon Bergquist, according to Fox Atlanta. “And the practice of mindfulness is a very ancient practice of being present in the moment.” Many of us, she said, have become mindless eaters. “Because we’ve gotten in this habit of grabbing and going,” Bergquist said. “We’re typically multi-tasking. And when we’re multi-tasking, we’re giving our attention to the task.”
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Bergquist went on to explain the differences between the two sides of our brains. First, there is the conscious brain, that is conscious of what we are doing. And then there is the instinctive – or primitive – brain, that kicks into autopilot when we multi-task. “So while we’re focusing on an email, the primitive, instinctive part of our brain is grabbing chocolate cake,” Dr. Bergquist said. She advised to set aside time where you can simply chew your food, think about the food and ask yourself if you’re full. “That’s the best way to start breaking up the habits that have been established and to create better new ones.”
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