1. Mindful Eating
Lauren Kroeger, RD

2. Healthy Relationship with Food
Focus your mindset on what you CAN have instead of what you CAN’T
There is a place for all foods in a healthy diet
Healthy Relationship with Food

3. Observe: Listen to your body’s cues to tell you if you are hungry, thirsty, or full. Is your belly rumbling? Do you feel you have low energy? Are you truly hungry or are you just bored?
In-the-Movement: Be fully present. Turn of the TV and sit down as a family. No Gameboys, Nintendos, iPads at the table. When you eat, just eat. You can have conversation with your family, maybe even talk about the healthy foods you are eating.
Savor: Notice texture, smell, flavor. Is it crunchy, sweet, salty, smooth spicy.
Aware: Are you tasting vs. mindless munching.
Nonjudgement: Notice when/if guilt pops into your head. Do not tell others “You should not be eating that…”. Every food as a place in the diet. We must adopt a healthy relationship with food.

4. Not mindful behaviors

5. Mindful Eating Observe Be in the moment Savor Be aware
More about how you eat than what you eat
Observe
Be in the moment
Savor
Be aware
Be nonjudgmental
Observe: Listen to your body’s cues to tell you if you are hungry, thirsty, or full. Is your belly rumbling? Do you feel you have low energy? Are you truly hungry or are you just bored?
In-the-Moment: Be fully present. Turn of the TV and sit down as a family. No Gameboys, Nintendos, iPads at the table. When you eat, just eat. You can have conversation with your family, maybe even talk about the healthy foods you are eating.
Savor: Notice texture, smell, flavor. Is it crunchy, sweet, salty, smooth spicy.
Aware: Are you tasting vs. mindless munching.
Nonjudgement: Notice when/if guilt pops into your head. Do not tell others “You should not be eating that…”. Every food as a place in the diet. We must adopt a healthy relationship with food.
Mindfulness is deliberately paying attention, non-judgementally, in the present moment.

6. Mindfulness encompasses both internal and external environments

7. Mindfulness cultivates the possibility of freeing yourself of reactive, habitual patterns of thinking, feeling, and acting

8. Mindfulness promotes balance, choice, wisdom, and acceptance of what is

9. Nourishment vs. Enjoyment
Eat with Intention and Attention
What do I have? What do I need? What do I want?
Listen to your body’s natural cues
Eat what you love. Don’t ruin your favorite foods with guilt; deprivation and shame are powerful emotional triggers for overeating. Remind yourself that all foods can fit into a healthy diet when you balance eating for enjoyment with eating for nourishment.
Set an intention for eating. Know why you’re eating—nutrition, fuel, pleasure, social connection, tradition—so your choices will reflect that intention. Before you start eating, ask yourself, “How do I want to feel when I’m finished?”
Love what you eat. Then sit down to eat—even if it’s just a holiday cookie. Savor each bite mindfully, noticing the appearance, aromas, textures and flavors of your food. Stay conscious of how your body feels as you eat so you’ll feel great when you’re done.
“We need to be coming back to ourselves and say: Does my body need this? Why am I eating this? Is this just because I’m so sad or stressed out?”

10. Types of eating behaviors
Overeating
Restrictive eating
Instinctive or Intuitive eating

11. Overeating Why? Triggered When? External or emotional cues
What? Comfort foods
How? Mindlessly, quickly, secretly
How much? Until food is gone

12. Restrictive Eating When? According to rules
Why? Rules
When? According to rules
What? “Good” or “Allowed” foods
How? Rigidly
How Much? Allowed amount

13. Instinctive or Intuitive Eating
Why? Fuel
When? The body lets me know  “Cues”
What? Whatever they want
How? Intentionally
How much? Enough to satisfy hunger

14. Summary Learn to have a healthy relationship with food
Avoid a negative attitude toward food
Observe your body’s cues
View food as nourishment vs. enjoyment
Recognize what type of eater your are, and avoid destructive behaviors
Be an instinctive or intuitive eater!