By Rachel Harshfield
Much has been said about gut health but to understand its value to your health you have to love your gut. There’s a vast disconnect between what you learn and what you apply to your personal life. We all have different learning styles so you may have heard reports about gut health but until you apply them, the information is useless.
Identify Your Belly
There are two important things to keep in mind. First, you have to identify what type of belly you have before you can love your gut back to health. Next, be mindful of the times you eat. Mindful eating is about eating with all of our senses, according to the Dietitians Association. They state that “Eating mindfully is about experiencing, without judgment, the emotional responses that take place before, during and after eating.”
When the Dietitians Association asked 175 accredited practicing dietitians to share their goals and favorite nutrition tips they use with clients and in their own lives, almost 60 percent said they were planning more mindful eating habits.
Food Focus
Here is what I would like you to focus on before and during meals:
- Sit down and take the time to eat your meals.
- Put your fork down between bites.
- Eat away from distracting pleasures such as reading books or newspapers, watching television, talking on the phone or checking emails.
- Try to eat primarily when you are physically hungry, rather than emotionally hungry or bored.
Taking time to enjoy our food has many advantages, the accredited dietitian explains. “Taking time to fully experience what we are eating with all of our senses, and eating mostly in response to physical hunger, leads to increased appreciation of food,” she says. “Research shows us eating more mindfully can also lead to eating less. So the food tastes better and we eat less.”
The Spice of Life: Variety
Try to eat a variety of foods you enjoy based on the five food groups (vegetables and legumes; fruits; wholegrain cereals and grains; lean meats, fish, chicken and alternatives, reduced-fat dairy). Be attentive to why you are eating and if this is for reasons other than physical hunger look at other activities you can do instead of eating. For example, take a walk or call a friend instead of emotionally eating.
Think about food as being important for nourishing your body and soul to be healthy for today and into the future rather than thinking of food in terms of how it affects your weight.
For one of Rachel Harshfield’s favorite recipes visit:
thesavvygal.com/a-culinary-journey-in-your-kitchen/
https://www.rachelharshfieldwellness.com/