Eating Intuitively & Mindfully April 25 th, 2014 Monica Bashaw, MScA, Intern in Dietetics & Human Nutrition Edited by: Mary Hendrickson-Nelson, MSc, RD

Reflect… How do you know WHEN to eat? How do you choose WHAT to eat? How do you know HOW MUCH to serve yourself? HOW do you eat? How do you know WHEN to stop eating?

Common Answers Plate/bowl is empty, TV show is over, feelings of fullness/stuffed, break is over How do you know WHEN to eat? Hunger signals, clock, break time at work, my partner has dinner on the table, bored, visual or scent cues How do you choose WHAT to eat? Cravings/taste, availability, convenience, price, comfort, nutrition How do you know HOW MUCH to serve yourself? Fill the plate, fill ¾ bowl, habit, I don’t serve myself (Ex. cafeteria/restaurant or partner serves), package size HOW do you eat? How do you know WHEN to stop eating? On the go, with co-workers/family, in front of movie/TV, browsing internet, distracted

Where do your cues fall? EMOTIONAL/ENVIRONMENTAL CUES Body’s hunger cues Choose nourishing foods to fuel body Using mindful techniques while eating – being present and savouring the eating experience No distractions while eating Body’s satiety cues PHYSICAL/MINDFUL CUES Clock, habits Sensory stimuli Bored Partner serves/offers food Availability/free Emotional eating - comfort Serving size based on plate or bowl size/package size Cafeteria/restaurant portions Distractions present while eating Finish eating when plate is empty, time is up, TV show finished, etc.

Are you TRULY hungry? HUNGER “Biological response to replenish body’s energy reserves” Triggers = low blood sugar, growling stomach, etc. Gradual onset Appears several hours after last meal Diminishes with eating Satisfied with ANY type of food APPETITE “A desire or interest to eat a specific food, which is usually sweet, salty, or fatty” Triggers = emotions, sensory experiences, environmental stimuli Rapid onset Not time dependent May persist after eating Only satisfied with specific foods

Focusing on PHYSICAL Cues HUNGER SCALE

We Aren’t Listening! Stale Popcorn m/watch?v=8Ogsmh_cze Y m/watch?v=8Ogsmh_cze Y 6:10 – 9:25 Bottomless Bowl m/watch?v=8Ogsmh_cze Y m/watch?v=8Ogsmh_cze Y 9:58 – 12:18  Brian Wansink, PH.D.

Barriers Habits Strategies  Challenge your standard portion size, use smaller bowls and plates, and taller/narrower glasses Which black dot is bigger?

Barriers cont. Same portion, different sized plates Take advantage of the optical illusion! “The EYES not the STOMACH count calories”

Barriers cont. Which glass contains more liquid?

Barriers Cont. Availability Strategy  Ask yourself “Am I truly hungry?” “Out of sight, out of mind” Strategy  Put leftovers away before sitting down to eat Package size ≠ portion size Strategy  Don’t snack out of the package Bored Strategies  Distract yourself by going for a walk, calling a friend, etc. Tribole, E., & Resch, E. (2012). Intuitive eating: A revolutionary program that works. New York, NY: St. Martin’s Press. Wansink, B. (2007). Why we eat more than we think: Mindless eating. New York, NY: Bantam Books.

Barriers Cont. Fatigue Strategy  Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep Knutson, K.L. (2012). Does inadequate sleep play a role in vulnerability to obesity? American Journal of Human Biology,24(3),

Barriers Cont. Sensory stimuli Strategies  Ask yourself “Hunger or Appetite?”, remove yourself from the environment, sip on water as a distraction, organize fridge and cupboards so healthy food appears first Pre-served portions Strategies  Don’t feel you have to finish your plate, take leftovers home, pause during meal and ask yourself “Where am I on the hunger scale?” Emotional eating Strategies  Identify your comfort foods, focus on eating them mindfully, do not restrict them Tribole, E., & Resch, E. (2012). Intuitive eating: A revolutionary program that works. New York, NY: St. Martin’s Press. Wansink, B. (2007). Why we eat more than we think: Mindless eating. New York, NY: Bantam Books.

Barriers Cont. Ravenous after work Strategies? Have easy to store snacks on hand at work Nuts, oatmeal, fruit, cereal, peanut butter, protein powder, cheese and crackers, yogurt Your snack should depend on how long until your next meal 1 hour  fruit Several hours  include a source of protein Avoid the grocery store on the way home Have ready to eat healthy snacks available at home Pre-cut up fruit, veggies + hummus, cubed cheese

Barriers Cont. Distracted eating Strategy  Mindful eating approach Video clip: How to practice MINDFUL EATING Remove distractions Savour every bite Use all of your senses while eating Be grateful Tribole, E., & Resch, E. (2012). Intuitive eating: A revolutionary program that works. New York, NY: St. Martin’s Press.

Dr. Alber’s mindful eating activity Step 1: Put a Hershey’s Kiss in your hand, and feel the weight of it. Describe it to yourself – the shape, the color. Then listen to the crinkle of foil as you open it. Step 2: Bring it up to your nose and smell it, taking deep whiffs of the aroma and thinking about the memories that emerge. Step 3: Put the whole Kiss into your mouth. Notice the taste, the texture, and how it changes, how it melts in your mouth. Finally notice how it feels as you swallow it.

Other Helpful Tips When serving food buffet style, start with vegetables, then meat and starch items Keep vegetables/salad on the table during meals Do you find it hard to slow down at meal times? Drink calorie-free beverages more often (esp water!) Keep a bowl of fruit on the kitchen table Wansink, B. (2007). Why we eat more than we think: Mindless eating. New York, NY: Bantam Books.

Other Helpful Tips Get active! Do you snack while cooking? Just a few bites of dessert can satisfy a craving Joseph, R. J., Alonso-Alonso, M., Bond, D.S., Pascual-Leone, A., & Blackburn, G.L. (2011). The neurocognitive connection between physical activity and eating behavior. Obesity reviews, 12,

Shifting Away From the Dieting Mentality Dieting/calorie counting DON’T work and do MORE HARM than good Research shows that DIETING PREDICTS the following… Age GroupFactor KidsDieting may promote weight gain (Field, 2003). AdolescentsDieting is the most important predictor of new eating disorders (Patton, 1999). TeensDieting predicted weight gain, disordered eating, an overweight status & eating disorders; n > 2,500 (Neumark & Sztainer, 2006). AdultsDieting is a predictor of weight gain (Mann 2007) TwinsDieting, independent of genetics, is a predictor of weight gain (Pietilainen, 2011).

Why Diets DON’T Work!!!

New Trends in Weight Loss MINDFUL Eating Learn to trust yourself Internal/physical cues Engage your senses Enjoy the experience Be aware of your environment What are the benefits? Tribole, E., & Resch, E. (2012). Intuitive eating: A revolutionary program that works. New York, NY: St. Martin’s Press. Wansink, B. (2007). Why we eat more than we think: Mindless eating. New York, NY: Bantam Books.

What about nutrition? All foods fit, focus on food that nourishes your body Manage your environment Aim for “balanced plate/bowl” ½ vegetable, ¼ grain, ¼ protein Serving of dairy + fruit Balanced plate and bowl from Mac Campus Cookbook, unpublished.

Start TODAY! What are you going to plan to do differently… When you feel hungry When eating In regards to your food environment

Create a SMART Goal What are you going to plan to do differently… Example: “Starting this week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays at work, I am going to focus on eating lunch mindfully” acronym-for-specific-measurable-achievable-realistic-and-timely-on-a-bl.jpg

Thank you!