Mindful Eating Tip for Moms on Mother’s Day

For busy moms, it might feel like there is never any downtime, let alone time to eat.

Moms are most likely to eat on the run, they have very little time to enjoy their own meals and often feel cheated out of a meal because of all the multitasking.

The reason why you feel this way is because like in our general life, eating has become a rush, something you mostly just get over and done with so that you can get to the rest of your busy life.

Mother’s day might be an opportunity for you to indulge in a little mindful eating. Having a little more time for yourself and your meals could help you derive greater pleasure from all the mothers day meals.

Mindful eating might sound out of reach for you and your busy schedule but it can make meals more enjoyable, improve your digestion and help you make better food choices.

A simple mindful eating hack I share with my busy clients is to simply slow down at mealtimes.

This might sound counterintuitive with the little time we have, but there are many benefits to slowing down while you eat.

Better digestion

If you eat slower, you chew your food better, not only will you enjoy the taste of your food but chewing for longer helps your body digest your meal more effectively. Digestion starts in your mouth so the more work you do in the mouth while you chew will reduce digestive problems. You could also experience greater satisfaction with your meals, It’s hard to enjoy your food if it goes by too quickly.

Better hydration

By slowing down during your meals, you reboot your food-body connection. You are able to know how your body reacts to food and you are able to pick up other queues such as hunger and dehydration. When you slow down, you can detect when you are thrust and help your body stay hydrated for longer.

Eating slowly reduces stress

Eating slowly, and paying attention to our eating, can be a great form of mindfulness

It sends a physiological response that there is no danger while you are eating which will lower cortisol (Stress hormone) levels

Your teeth will thank you.

The more you chew the more saliva you produce, saliva plays a pivotal role in washing away food particles, reducing bacteria and other minerals, sugars, and acids in your mouth.

Slowing down when you eat might sound self-indulgent but it’s a great investment in your health. I know that eating slowly at each meal might not be practical but it might help to earmark certain meals were slowing down might be more practical for you.

Some simple tips on how to slow down when you eat.

Where possible, clear away all distractions.
Make a simple gratitude list for your meal.
Slow down your chewing.
Breathe in between bites.
Put your knife and fork down between bites.

When you slow down in life and in your eating, you can access the calm inside you. How can you slow down this mothers day and give yourself the gift of mindful eating?

P.S If your relationship with food is feeling a little off in the month of love, I highly recommend tracking how food affects your mood. This can help you understand your eating habits and can be a small act of self-care in the month of February.

My food and mood journal is designed to help you understand your eating behaviours and ultimately restore a loving relationship with food.

You can get a copy of the food and mood journal here https://wholesomelifestyleproject.com/work-with-me/shop/