Talking about counting bites seems like something typical of a diet. However, today we are not talking about another diet to lose weight, but about a mindfulness technique to eat better. Can you think of how counting bites can be related to eating better? Discover all the benefits of this mindfulness technique.
The way we put food in our mouths and eat it is part of a habit that can help us establish a better relationship with food. That's what they say, at least the defenders of this technique that helps you eat less and better and thus maintain a healthy weight. Discover all its keys and draw your own conclusions!
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is an English term that refers to the fact of pay attention to each experience and be aware of what is happening in the present moment both on a physical level and on a mental and emotional level without making judgments.
It is born from Eastern traditions, especially Buddhism, and although it is based on meditation, is a much broader and more heterogeneous practice than trains us to turn off autopilot and put the focus on the present moment, allowing us to be aware of what we feel at that precise moment.
Mindfulness applied to food
Nowadays there is a term in English for everything and of course, there is also one to identify the version of this technique referring to food: mindful eating. A trend that boasts of fostering a good relationship with food, through the foundations of mindfulness.
Mindful eating encourages us to have an attentive attitude and conscious during meals, from the moment we choose the food we are going to cook until we consume it. All of this involves being aware of each bite, each flavor and the different textures that the dish presents, but also of how the food makes us feel and our sensations of hunger and satiety.
In mindful eating or conscious eating it is important to approach food without criticism or blame and be aware of every bite. That is what counting bites refers to, which this technique invites us to, which is nothing more than a figurative meaning, far from what could become an obsession.
It is not a technique that aims to lose weight but its defenders state that helps maintain a healthy weight. In any case, to do this, time must be spent working on the technique, which means spending time preparing food and consuming it in peace, something difficult with the pace of life that most of us lead.
Benefits of counting bites
Mindful eating invites you to eat more slowly and consciously and achieving this is easier if count the number of bites and pauses are made to observe the food. But how does this effort benefit us? What are the benefits of this mindfulness technique?
- Eat slower. Eating while doing other things such as checking email or browsing the networks distracts us and in most cases makes us eat faster, more and yet feel less satiated. Eating slowly, chewing each food well and enjoying them, on the contrary, makes us eat more slowly and improves digestion.
- Less and better. Eating more slowly helps satiety hormones work better, so that we are more aware of when we are full and thus avoid overeating.
- Better digestions. Eating more slowly, being aware of what we eat and how what we eat makes us feel, leads us to make better decisions and therefore, enjoy better digestion.
- Acquired habits. It is a technique that requires training and willingness to dedicate energy and time to it. Perhaps that is why, once the habit is learned and acquired, it is rare to go back. Better decisions are made, we are more aware of whether we feel better or worse and in general healthier habits are acquired.