11 May How to Lose Weight Naturally? Try Mindful Eating

-Janice Tang, Hong Kong

It is a universal beauty standard that we all want to look slim, sexy, and ever-so-glamorous. Both men and women play a defined role in shaping the new era of healthy eating jam-packed with an array of nutrients. Men nowadays are more health-conscious with habits of hitting the gym and eating boiled eggs for breakfast with a bottle of protein shake at hand. While women are pouring money at made-to-order salad shops, such as Chop’t and SaladWorks. In America alone, the salad shops earned a total of $300 million dollars in 2014. Packaged salads and ready-to-eat vegetables and fruits market is projected to earn up to $7 billion in 2018, which is a steep 30% increase from 2013.  There’s no doubt that the boom has spread and will continue to do so across the entire salad industry. But have you ever thought of enjoying your favorite food without constraining yourself to one specific food? The cheesy saying is that life is too short. And indeed, life is too short, not to do and eat what you want. The secret to managing your weight in a well-balanced lifestyle is to mindfully eat.

The principle of mindfulness is a psychological technique that allows your body, mind, and soul to connect cohesively and be present at the moment. Once your body is firmly grounded, new senses trigger from within to allow you to listen to what’s happening in your body and mind. The same principle is directly applied to mindful eating. It integrates your five senses in choosing the food that both satisfies your craving and strengthening your body with sufficient nutrients.  You first see the food that are available to eat, you carefully choose based on nutrients and satisfaction, and you slowly enjoy every bite of the food with full awareness of what you are eating and being attentive to the taste of each bite. The premise is to be conscious of what you’re eating, how you’re eating, and why you’re eating. In fact, recent research published in the journal Complementary Therapies in Medicine showed that after just six weeks of mindfulness training, participants experienced a 16 percent decrease in the tendency to eat out of control, a 39 percent decrease in hunger, and a 43 percent decrease in binge-eating incidences. This goes to show that such a simple practice can result in great measures.

Mindful eating isn’t about exerting full concentration on eating, but rather developing a healthy habit to acknowledge, respect, and appreciate food. It can be easily integrated to your life based on two simple acts. Eat slowly and savor each and every bite. Don’t rush it and enjoy while it lasts.