If you’re like most people, the holiday season revolves around family and food.
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word Thanksgiving? Chances are it’s a table brimming with ham or turkey with all the delicious seasonal fixings and maybe a separate table overflowing with decadent desserts. Add in the office parties where doughnuts and chocolate linger within reach, and temptation is everywhere.
The relaxed, celebratory atmosphere of the holidays makes it easy to indulge on autopilot — loading up your plate, heading back for seconds, and realizing too late that you’re uncomfortably full. Anyone can fall into the trap of carefree overindulgence, but this year, you can take a new approach.
Just as Thanksgiving prompts us to pause and give thanks, mindful eating invites us to slow down and truly experience our food, noting its taste, texture, aroma, and the physical and emotional sensations it evokes. Whether your goal is to better control your blood sugar or make healthier choices, mindful eating can help.
Experts at Harvard Health and the National Institutes of Health suggest a few simple ways to practice mindful eating:
- Eat slowly, paying close attention to your body’s cues. It takes about 20 minutes for your brain to register fullness, so give yourself time to feel satisfied.
- Eliminate distractions like the television or your phone while you eat.
- Put your food on a plate instead of eating from a package.
- Eat in a designated space, like the kitchen or dining room table.
- Use a smaller plate to help with portion control.
Ultimately, the goal is not to eat less, but to enjoy it more. That’s something anyone would be thankful for.