Eating Habits

Eating food should be relaxing, sociable, enjoyable and a calm experience.

Here are some simple guidelines to help you eat mindfully rather than mindlessly:

• Take time to sit down at a table 

• Avoid distractions (turn off the tv/ move away from your work desk… don't eat whilst!

• Take some time to stop and enjoy your food (I know work can be busy for many, but you owe it to yourself to take 10 minutes to just stop. This will help you be mindful and recognise fullness clues. 

• Chew food slowly and stop when you're full.

• You don't need to clear your plate.

• Overeating may lead to digestive discomfort e.g bloating, gas, heart burn, so stop when your feel satisfied 

• Try not to eat late at night (ideally stop eating 3 hours before your bedtime to properly digest your food and prevent any negative effects to your sleep)

  *Eating late can impact your body’s natural sleep cycle, cause difficulty falling asleep, reduce the quality of your sleep, and increase the likelihood of waking up during the night due to digestive discomfort from the body still actively digesting food when it should be resting. 

• If you need a late night snack choose a small portion of protein or fiber rich foods that are easy to digest.