This is not your typical holiday eating tips of drinking low calorie drinks like vodka or snacking on protein before a party. Those tips are effective but also plentiful!

If your goal is to finish 2019 feeling better than you came into it then I am going to challenge you to practice Mindful Eating for the next 30 days.

Most people when they try to eat better they are always asking about what they eat. Should I eat potatoes? Isn’t fat bad for you? I can never eat bread again if I want to lose weight, right? Yet whatever they seem to eat, they eat it in a daze, in front of a screen, in a car, while working etc.

And who can blame them, we have been taught to think about WHAT we eat, rather than HOW we eat it. I’m admittedly one of those people. I eat healthy food but I do it in a rush…almost ALL of the time.

Today, I am going to challenge you to slow down your eating and to eat SLOWLY & MINDFULLY.

Here are the benefits of SLOW MINDFUL EATING…

You get to feel satisfied while at the same time eating less. Spread that over three meals a day and some snacks over 30 days and that’s a deficit of 1000s of calories! This can easily result in pounds lost.

You might look and feel better. Many of my clients, past and present, complain of digestive upset, gassiness and bloating. Eating slower will help you pre digest your food, making it easier on your stomach…resulting in less bloating and better fitting pants.

You could save money and waste less! By picking carefully and intentionally what to put on your plate you will eat less and have less waste and a smaller food bill.

How to eat slowly.

Eating slowly and mindfully is simple and effective—but not necessarily easy.

Most people have to work at it.

Thankfully, you don’t have to get it “perfect.” Shoot for “a little bit better” instead. You might be surprised at how effective this can be.

Try one of these tips. You can experiment with them for just one meal, or take on a full 30-day slow-eating challenge, if you feel up to it.

1. Begin with your shopping list. Consider the health value of every item you add to your list and stick to it to avoid impulse buying when you’re shopping. Fill most of your cart in the produce section and avoid the centre aisles—which are heavy with processed foods—and the chips and candy at the check-out counter.

2. Come to the table with an appetite— but not when ravenously hungry. If you skip meals, you may be so eager to get anything in your stomach that your first priority is filling the void instead of enjoying your food.

3. Start with a small portion. It may be helpful to limit the size of your plate to nine inches or less.

4. Appreciate your food. Pause for a minute or two before you begin eating to contemplate everything and everyone it took to bring the meal to your table. Silently express your gratitude for the opportunity to enjoy delicious food and the companions you’re enjoying it with.

5. Bring all your senses to the meal. When you’re cooking, serving, and eating your food, be attentive to colour, texture, aroma, and even the sounds different foods make as you prepare them. As you chew your food, try identifying all the ingredients, especially seasonings.

6. Take small bites. It’s easier to taste food completely when your mouth isn’t full. Put down your utensil between bites.

7. Chew thoroughly. Chew well until you can taste the essence of the food. You may be surprised at all the flavors that are released.

8. Just breathe. Take just one breath.

Before you eat, pause. Take one breath.

Take one bite. Then take another breath.

Take another bite. Then take another breath.

Go one bite, and one breath at a time.

That’s it.

Make sure you put down the remote, keep your phone away from the table, and savour your foods.

I would love to know if you are going to take me up on this mindful eating challenge and if you do, how it went for you!

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