Proper metabolism & triggering weight loss begins with the breath!

We’ve discussed a lot about what to eat, but much less attention is paid to the question of how we eat it, says in:spa nutritionist Tanya Borowski.

Latest research suggests that changing our thoughts and practices around meals and mealtimes are just as important as obsessing over what it is we actually put in our mouths. Mindful eating aims to reconnect us more deeply with the experience of eating — and enjoying — our food. The goal of mindful eating, then, is to base our meals on physical cues, such as our bodies’ hunger signals, not emotional ones — like eating for comfort.

Finding ways to slow down and eat intentionally are all a part of developing a truly healthy food culture and triggering metabolism. One study, tracked more than 1,400 mindful eaters and showed them to have lower body weights, a greater sense of well-being, and fewer symptoms of IBS.

In short, mindful eating increases awareness, pleasure, digestion, absorption and metabolism, so what is not to like!

When we eat unconsciously we eat more. So, avoid multitasking while eating and simply eat – nothing more! Turn off the phone, TV, email, computer and take a break from media while you focus on nourishing yourself. By eating consciously and slowly, you allow yourself to honour your true hunger and satiety needs by providing ample time for your brain to get the signal that your stomach is full!

Offer gratitude before each meal and bring your attention fully to the food. “Take Five” before a meal. In one minute transform your metabolism by taking five slow breaths. Breathe in through your nose for a count of 5, pause, out through your mouth for a count of 5. Repeat 4 more times or until you feel relaxed and ready to begin your meal. You can put one hand on your belly to help you connect with deeper belly-breathing.

Mindful eating does not have to be an exercise in super-human concentration, but rather a simple commitment to appreciating, respecting and, above all, enjoying the food you eat every day.

And while the focus becomes how you eat, not what you eat, you may find your notions of what you want to eat shifting dramatically for the better too.

Take the time to savour your food – you’ll chew your food more and therefore digest it more easily. You’ll notice flavours more as well as textures and sensations and are more likely to notice when you’re full. Bon Appetite x