Instead of mindless eating

“I like to practice voluntary simplicity… and make sure nourishment comes at a deep level. It involves intentionally doing only one thing at a time and making sure I am here for it.”

– Jon Kabat-Zinn, “Wherever you Go There you Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life”

With some major feasting holidays upon us in these year-end months, I’d like to focus on eating. How can we eat well when all around (and even within many of us) there’s such a tendency toward excess? Today I offer a suggestion: avoid mindless eating by eating mindfully.

This month’s wellness focus offers a few “tips” - maybe you’ve heard them before, but possibly hearing again may encourage you to give ‘em a try (or try again) – [And there's more at my blog from last November on “Less can be more” (I’ll refrain from repeating many of those here).]

TO START -

Model your plate of food on these suggested plates. The USDA graphic, or even better, the ‘new’ “healthy eating plate” addresses specific portion and food selection issues. Follow these links to Harvard’s nutrition site that includes tips for eating right, to learn some recipes and tips for stocking a healthy kitchen, read of nutrition in the news (such as "Healthier Diet, Stronger Sperm?"), and more.

From Cornell University's Food and Brand Lab's tipsheet:

Treat yourself – to fewer sweets by putting them farther away and/or out of sight. College secretaries ate twice as many chocolate kisses (9 versus 4) when these kisses were placed on their desk than when they were placed 6 feet away. They were also more likely to lose track of how many they had eaten.

Choose smaller packages or containers. Chicago moviegoers who were given large–size popcorn containers ate 45% more than those given medium–size containers. This even happened when they were given stale, 10 day old popcorn. Big packages encourage us to eat more, even if we don't really like the food.

CONTINUING ON –

Specifically, by location or event, here’s some suggestions - laid out in Brian Wansink's book "Mindless Eating" – that are based on his research:

At Meal times:

- Pre-plate the high-calorie food in the kitchen and leave the leftovers there. Only bring big bowls of veggies and salad to the table.

- Keep dinner classy by using nice dishes, but use smaller plates and taller glasses.

- Manage the pace: slow down so appetites can catch up with what’s been eaten; slow music can help.

- Avoid having too many foods on the table: the more variety there is, the more people will eat.

- Get into the habit of leaving something on the plate.

- Eat fruit for dessert instead of more indulgent choices.

About Snacking:

-Think “back”: put all those foods that aren’t good for you in the back of the cupboard, back of the frig, back of the freezer, or wrap them in foil. Store tempting foods in the basement, or repack them in non-opaque containers.

-Do not “prebuy” snacks for a future occasion.

-If you get a craving, think of a substitute. Buy a colorful variety of vegetables, precut them, and store them on the first or second shelf of the refrigerator.

-Chewing gum can distract you away from the 4 Cs: chips, cookies, ice cream, and candy.

-Only eat at the table – the one in the kitchen or the one in the dining room, rather than wolf things down over the sink or in front of an open frig.

-The only foods that should be out on the counter are the healthy foods: substitute a fruit dish for a cookie jar.

-Never eat directly from a package: always portion food out into a dish so you must face exactly how much you’ll eat.

For Parties:

-Stay more than an arm’s length away from the buffet tables and snack bowls.

-Put only two items on your plate during any given trip to the food table.

-Use the volume approach to make yourself feel full: chow down on the healthy stuff (veggies) and then see if you have room for the rest.

-When you think you’ll be distracted by an important (or fun) conversation, set the food down and give the conversation your full attention: the more you focus on people (and distractions) the more you’ll tend to eat (therefore, the suggestion to get the food plate out of easy reach).

For Desktop and dashboard diners:

-Brown-bag it: even if you only do this a couple of times a week, you’re ahead of the game because you’re in more control of your food choices.

-Stock your desk or lunchroom refrigerator with yogurt, cheese, nuts, or pop-top cans of tuna fish: protein can take the edge off a snack attack.

-Turn off the computer or pull the car over while you eat. If you focus on what you’re eating, you might even discover that you don’t really like vending-machine or convenience-store food.

-Use food policies and food trade-offs: for example, the first thing you eat at work is fruit; or eating an indulgent snack means taking a walk during your break.

-Chew gum to prevent eating from boredom or stress.

-Replace every other soft drink with water. Offices tend to be dry. We think we’re hungry when instead we’re simply thirsty. Fill up your water bottle a number of times each day.

I must admit, sadly, that too many of these suggestions are ones I do not yet follow (for one thing, I love chocolate and desserts!). But still, we can start today, and start small. Wansink suggests: Focus on one goal at a time, select three small habit changes, form a simple concrete plan and write it down, modify the plan as needed.

And in Eating Mindfully, Susan Albers (follow this link for a Diet and Nutrition Assessment, understanding food as medicine, and how to eat mindfully) recommends starting with one mealtime: breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Choose a specific location to eat, such as your table or the lunchroom at work. Sit quietly. Don't get up, and don't answer the phone. Have all the food you intend to eat on the table in front of you before starting. To be mindful you must give your full attention to your eating. You must focus on the process of eating and enjoying your meal.

We might possibly also look at all that we’re attending to this month: not just with food, but also in outlook. Maybe we can see, that is, ‘take in’ by giving attention to, more of the good around us, and be grateful!

May you realize anew the wholeness that is you, and observe your body (what do I eat, sense, take in?), your mind/soul (why do I give certain things my attention?), and your spirit (where do I find ultimate sustenance?).

“Man shall not live by bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” – Jesus, Matthew 4:4