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Five benefits of mindful eating

Paying attention to how food impacts your thoughts and sensations could pave the way to a healthier you Paying attention to how food impacts your thoughts and sensations could pave the way to a healthier you

Over the last 20 years, research has proven that mindful eating, also known as intuitive eating, helps manage food intake and its benefits go far beyond weight loss. Here's how it works: 
 
1.  Creates pauses in your day: When we see eating as an experience rather than a task, we can create breaks throughout the day that will help us unwind. Eating mindfully requires your full attention, and taking a purposeful pause can "punch a hole in the constant business of the day".
2.      Inspires healthier choices: The more conscious you are of what you're eating, and how that food makes you feel, the less likely you are to choose foods that don't serve your body any benefits. Rather than begrudgingly choosing a leafy green salad because that's what your diet dictates, mindful eating will help you make these choices naturally. "Diets don't work for many of us for a very good reason. Our feelings, opinions, and personal mindset are taken out of the equation. We end up following (a diet's) orders and guidelines instead of our intuition and gut.
One way to become more mindful of food choices is to ask yourself the following questions before and after meals: How does my body feel before and after I eat? Do I experience low energy? More energy? Bloating? Sadness? What do I feel about this food? Joy? Pleasure? Guilt? Disappointment? Once you determine how certain foods make you feel, you'll intrinsically reach for those that are associated with more positive experiences.
3.      Aids in digestion: To truly be more mindful about food and your relationship with it, it is important to understand that the process doesn't end when you've finished eating. Being mindful means being aware of the digestion process and how you can make it easier on your body. For instance, try taking your time at each meal to eat slowly and chew thoroughly, which not only breaks down food to make it more easily digestible, but also stimulates important enzymes that aid the digestion process.
4.       Improves gratitude: A key to eating mindfully is to think about how much went into the production of the food on your plate. "Realise the interdependent nature of food - that the sun and the moon, insects, truck drivers, and more, are all involved. Thinking about where your food comes from creates a greater appreciation for the environment and the industry, and results in a greater appreciation for your food.
 5.      Eliminates emotional eating: Most of the time we crave food to "fix" an emotional need or void in our life, but when you change the way you see and think about food, you no longer view it as a quick fix. Instead, you may find other opportunities to be fulfilled such as donating to food banks and food giveaway programmes.
 
The Health Concierge is a wellness company with a team of health coaches that conduct one-on-one health coaching and corporate wellness programmes. It further assists people to adopt healthy habits such as mindful eating.
"We truly believe that people have no idea how good they can feel if they improve their lifestyle. We want to help people become healthier and happier and can do this in a very effective manner through personalised health coaching. The Health Concierge gives clients a customised lifestyle plan and an individual coach that support and make you accountable to improve your health in a sustainable manner. Our expertise is weight loss, reversal of diabetes and hypertension and improving your energy levels," said Ankit Ruia, co-founder of 
The Health Concierge strongly believes that change in lifestyle is the ultimate tool to become healthy and happy through a sustainable way, and make continuous improvements in relation to exercise, stress management, nutrition and sleep. 
Book a free consultation with its wellness experts today on +971-52-625 3332 or info@thc.ae. 
For more information, visit www.thc.ae