Four ways to practice mindful eating and limit the pitfalls of distracted eating

There's a good chance you're reading this while munching on something.

Also chew on this: screen time for a large portion of Americans has significantly jumped, whether that's watching TV or endless YouTube clips. Children are now spending, on average, more than seven hours a day in front of a screen. All of this digital time likely intersects with meal and snack time. That combination can lead to what's called distracted eating and can impact our dietary pattern; by not realizing how much is going into our mouths, we have the tendancy to eat more.

I'm a guilty party. My lunches are sometimes devoured in front of my work computer, my dinners while (finally) trying to get through the last two seasons of Schitt's Creek. Eating can be an activity I need to get done as quickly as possible. What I've learned is that we can take small but impactful steps to be more present during the eating process. Slowing down definitely has its health benefits.

Mindfulness is nothing new. The practice goes back centuries and focuses on being more in the moment, more aware of one's here and now. Mindfulness meditation is a beneficial exercise to help reduce anxiety, stress, and symptoms associated with certain health conditions. Combining mindfulness with eating has shown some positive outcomes in certain studies. An analysis of 12 randomized controlled trials concluded that mindful eating was associated with greater reductions in binge eating. Another meta-analysis also concluded that mindfulness practices significantly reduced impulsive and binge eating behaviors as well promoted increased physical activity.

While there's no one-size-fits-all-approach to mindful eating, here are four tactics to help get you started:

1. Silence those electronics. It's hard to focus only on your food when your phone is dinging, buzzing, and incessantly demanding your attention. Same goes for background noise, such as music or the TV. Turn off or silence everything so it's just you and your meal.

2. Press pause. How often do we think about all it took for our food to get where it is? From the farmers who grew the crops to the factory workers who packaged the goods, a little thought can lead to greater appreciation and enjoyment of the meal. If you made the meal— even if it's a PB&J—tell yourself "well done!" before digging in.

3. Savor the sensations. Before the food enters your mouth, notice what's in front of you. Is there an aroma? How about colors? If you're able to hold the food, how does it feel? Spend a few seconds and notice it all. Again, you're trying to slow down the entire eating process so it's equivalent to a leisurely stroll—not a race to the finish.

4. Take 20. Time to eat! Slow it down and take at least 20 minutes to finish the meal, noting the food's mouthfeel and flavors along the way. It's been proven that the slower we eat, the less we're likely to consume and the more enjoyment we get out of the meal. Slowing down also helps with your digestion and makes us more aware of our fullness cues. Bonus tip: if your meal includes some protein and/or fiber, those foods will help you feel fuller longer after the meal than something strictly carb-based.

With our busy lives, are we able to practice mindfulness at all meals? Most likely not. But attempting these tactics even for a few meals each week can have its benefits. Let me know how it goes!

Sources:

Livingston G. Americans 60 and older are spending more time in front of their screens than a decade ago. Pew Research Center. June 18, 2019. Accessed November 18, 2023. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2019/06/18/americans-60-and-older-are-spending-more-time-in-front-of-their-screens-than-a-decade-ago/.

Infographics - screen time vs. Lean Time. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. January 29, 2018. Accessed November 18, 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpao/multimedia/infographics/getmoving.html#:~:text=About%20Screen%20Time,watching%20a%20screen%20for%20fun.

Daniela Mercado, Robinson L, Gordon G, Werthmann J, Campbell IC, Schmidt U. The outcomes of mindfulness-based interventions for Obesity and binge eating disorder: A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Appetite. 2021;166:105464. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2021.105464

Ruffault A, Czernichow S, Hagger MS, et al. The effects of mindfulness training on weight-loss and health-related behaviours in adults with overweight and obesity: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Obesity Research & Clinical Practice. 2017;11(5):90-111. doi:10.1016/j.orcp.2016.09.002