An Introduction to Mindful Eating

Mindful eating incorporates mindfulness into your mealtimes and snacks. Mindfulness itself is all about being present in any given moment and taking stock of how you feel and why that might be.

Eating more mindfully encourages you to be more aware of your emotions around food, cravings and any associated triggers. It’s about eating to maintain your health and wellbeing and taking the time to appreciate what you’re putting into your body.

Focus on the Senses

Mindfulness is about tapping into all of your senses, noticing what you can see, hear, touch, taste and smell around you – something that can be extended to the concept of mindful eating.

Take the time to notice the colour, smell, texture and flavour of your food, and listen to the sound it makes as you bite into it.

woman biting into a watermelon slice

Enjoy every bite by making your food as flavoursome as possible. From herbs to spices to flavoured protein powders, there are so many ways to add more complex tastes to recipes, so channel your creativity, eat slowly and savour the results.

Listen to Your Body

Being present while you’re eating means putting your phone down, turning off the TV, removing yourself from any other distractions and letting yourself fully enjoy your food and the people you’re sharing a meal with. Eating with others and sharing your food can make meals a more sociable and enjoyable experience.

Being more mindful while you eat means eating at a slower pace, listening to your body and stopping when you’re full. It also means eating when your body tells you to, which may mean straying slightly from traditional mealtimes. It’s a good idea to have a supply of healthy snacks handy to quieten any stomach rumbles, but make sure you’re consuming these in the same mindful way as your meals.

If comfort eating is a habit that you often fall into, try to focus on filling up on foods that are nutritionally healthy instead.

Try to tap into the emotions that are triggering your comfort eating too; they could be rooted in boredom or anxiety and recognising this could help you to begin addressing these issues and channel them elsewhere.

Think About Where Your Food Comes From

Being aware of where your food comes from is another way to eat more mindfully. Eating clean, organic ingredients that have been sustainably sourced means you know exactly what you’re putting into your body to support your health and wellbeing.

At Garden of Life, we’re incredibly proud that every single ingredient in our products can be traced right back to its source. We work closely with a network of approved farmers who grow the organic sprouts, beans and seeds found in our protein powders.

If you want to supplement your diet with additional vitamins, our Organics range is made from 100% organic ingredients, giving you extra reassurance about what you’re putting into your body.

Try to steer clear of processed foods and take the time to prepare food that you love using raw or fresh ingredients. Thinking about where your food comes from rather than simply viewing it as an end-product can help you to begin changing your relationship with food and potentially the emotions you experience around it too.

Cooking food yourself can help you to enjoy the experience of preparing a meal as much as eating it, allowing you to have a more mindful experience overall.

Learn more about how being mindful by listening to your gut health can help you to support your wellbeing: