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Have you ever heard of the French paradox- a low incidence and mortality rate of heart disease in France despite a high intake of high cholesterol and highly saturated food?
You must be wondering how this is possible, as our whole healthy diet concept revolves around low-calorie and low-fat food. No doubt, the calories and nutrients matter, but it's not only about what you are eating; it's also about how you eat and how you enjoy your meal.
And that's where the French Paradox came, which makes French different from Americans. Most Americans eat on the go, while in France, people like to sit down and enjoy their meal. Most of us are always in a hurry, especially when eating. Sometimes, we scarf down the food while zipping from one place to another, sometimes we spend our whole day snacking.
It may be a banana or a muffin in your hand as you leave the house in the morning, something hot and spicy from the office cafeteria in the afternoon, and maybe something left over in the fridge at dinner with a few bites of ice cream at night. And this routine would be more of the same every day. Breakfast on the go, snack packs, and eating always in a hurry.
But the French Culture is the opposite of this; it involves:
Sit: The one thing about French culture, whether the food is prepared or not, is that they always prefer to eat food while sitting at the table. Not on a car dashboard or at an office desk like us, but on a real table.
Slow: In France people take an extended lunch hour. Well, it may be difficult for most of us but taking some time and slowing down can make a great difference.
Enjoy: Eating is not just about getting your stomach full; it involves social and physical attachments. In French culture, people like to share their stories, laugh, and enjoy the company of others rather than stressing about other things.
How Can You Adapt that Mindful Eating
Mindful eating is just a two-step process:
Step 1: Setting An Eating Schedule:
A proper eating schedule is very important, just like all the other events in your life-meetings, concerts, or dates. All of these events have a proper start time, Right?. Similarly, your meals and snacks also need proper scheduling. For example:
Breakfast at 8; 00 am
Lunch at 12:30 pm
Snack at 4 p.m.
Dinner at 8 pm
You can make a proper timing according to your routine and lifestyle. But this schedule can be flexible according to circumstances.
One of the best advantages of making these schedules is that you will be aware of when you are eating and what you are eating at that time. This will prevent mindless grazing all day.
Step 2: Establishing A Beginning, middle and the End:
Most of us cannot control ourselves when it comes to our favorite food or snack. Just like the events, eating should also have a proper beginning, a middle, and an end. So, instead of eating a full bag of snacks at night, eat a snack with a proper pattern. Fetch a snack of your own choice (the beginning), sit down, and enjoy your snack properly (the middle). Now, put that snack away and do the work you were doing before (the end).
When you are aware of the pattern of your snacking, you are more likely to eat less and mindfully.
Mindful Eating Tips
Well, now you know the process of mindful eating and how to adapt the eating pattern of French. But the Good News is that's not the only way to connect your belly and brain. We came up with some amazing mindful eating tips that will help you make mindful food choices for life.
Tip#1: Make Your Meal an Event:
Stop thinking your meals are just a source of fuel for your body. It's way much more than that. It is a culture, a tradition, a connection and a celebration. No doubt food gives you nourishment but it can also give you joy and pleasure when you eat mindfully. When you make your meal an event it's when you make it more meaningful.
We all have that time in our lives when we don't know what we are eating or how much we have eaten. You just turn on the TV, watch a few episodes of your favorite show, and the box of cookies next to you is all empty all of a sudden. Quite mysterious, Right?
Well, that's because we are not paying attention to our food and leaving so many roles that it plays in our lives.
A Social Outing
Good Memories
Cooking with Friends
Family Dinner At Home
So, instead of eating like a robot, try to plan your meal like an event next time. If you are not a social person, don't worry; you can simply schedule your meal and enjoy it on your own.
Tip#2: Remove Distractions:
One of the biggest reasons behind unhealthy eating habits like binge eating and boredom eating is being distracted while eating. Most people don't start eating until they have something to watch, whether it's their favorite TV show or sports match. And some of us are so distracted by thoughts and emotions while eating that we don't even notice when we have our last bite.
Do you remember what was the taste or texture of the food you ate last time? How did it look? Was it cold or hot? How did it smell? Did you like it? Well, that may be a lot of questions. But are you able to answer any of these questions? If not, then you are not than you weren't present while eating. And probably be distracted by something.
This distraction not only makes you eat more, but you may end up building unhealthy eating habits that can be difficult to get rid of.
In The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, there are reviews of various studies that compared the food intake of people when they are in front of the TV versus when they are not. The results show that people who eat in front of the TV always eat more than those who do not. Not only this, but these people also eat more throughout the day-even after they turn off the TV.
So, next time you are going to eat, turn off the TV and put your mobile phone away. When you are focused on your food without all those distractions, you will be able to enjoy your food and eat less.
Tip#3: Engage Your Senses:
Mindful eating requires you to use all of your senses. While most people think there are three senses that are used when it comes to food-sight, smell and taste. but it is important to realize that you also use hearing and touch when you sit down to eat. How's that?
Well, to make you understand better, We discovered the "Crunch effect". According to Dr. Ryan Elder and his colleagues at Brigham Young University, hearing yourself while you chew can regulate the quantity of food you eat. They also found out that the food's sounds significantly affect the amount of food you intake. Which means the more you hear yourself chew the less you eat.
The same goes for all other senses. Using all of your senses can help you slow down while eating and allows you to recognize your fullness cues. It also makes your food joy and pleasure.
For example, you went to a party last night, you have your favorite dessert, and you eat slowly, observing each of the bites. This will satisfy your craving, and you will be less likely to eat any dessert tomorrow. Moreover, when you are mindful of your eating, you will notice when you are no longer enjoying that food and will leave the table when you feel satisfied instead of eating that dessert one after one mindlessly.
Final Words:
Now that you know all the techniques and tips of mindful eating, next time when you are sitting down for a meal follow all of these steps properly. It may take some time but when you get used to it, it will benefit your overall health and satisfaction in the long run.
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