Exploring Mindful Eating: When Are We Really Hungry for Food?
What’s the first step in mindful eating (also called intuitive
eating)? Wait to feel physically hungry before eating. Sounds
simple, but at first it may be hard. That’s because either due
to dieting or chaotic patterns of eating, people often ignore
physical hunger cues or eat when they are not physically hungry
at all. Then they often end up confused about when they are
truly hungry for food. Just following this one principle of
mindful eating, however, would very likely improve the way most
people eat. Mastering Mindful Eating – Intuitive Eating The most
logical place to start getting back in touch with physical
hunger cues is to establish some structure for the timing and
balance of meals. Ideally, start by eating within the first few
hours of waking, then every 3 to 5 hours from that point on.
Ensure that most meals/snacks contain grains/starchy vegetables,
protein foods and fruits/vegetables. Next, experiment with
separating “mouth hunger” (em