In today’s busy world, the way we consume food on a daily basis has completely changed from what we used to do for our health. We eat food while walking, while being on call and sometimes choosing packaged travel friendly food options without considering their long term negative impact on our health. While these daily habits seem harmless, they have a negative adverse effect on our health. This is where,we should adopt mindful eating in our life to improve the quality of our health.
What is Mindful Eating?
Mindful eating is the process of not just choosing what we eat, but how and why we eat. By just adapting these three main formulas, we can move forward to a healthier and more stable future. It makes individuals pay attention to the taste of food, how much portion of food has to be consumed, and origin of food. When we eat consciously, we enjoy and appreciate our food and develop a healthier connection with food.
What are Sustainable Eating Habits?
Sustainable eating habits means choosing your food very selectively in such a way that is good for your physical health, mental health and the environment. There is a quote that says “Eat consciously today so that you stay healthy tomorrow”. Developing beneficial habits in your lifestyle is very important for your health. It totally demands consistency, determination and discipline in following sustainable eating habits.
Let’s know what it basically includes –
- Eating more seasonal food and vegetables: For example- Eating mangoes in summer and spinach in winters.
- Consume more plant based food rather than junk food: Consume only fruits, vegetables, grains, pulses and nuts. Try to avoid junk food.
- Avoid Plastic Products for packaging: Kindly avoid plastic products for packaging. For example: Using plastic bottles for drinking purposes and using plastic tiffin boxes for packaging lunch. Instead of plastic bottles and tiffin boxes, use steel or aluminium tiffin boxes and water bottles.
What are Unsustainable Eating Habits?
Unsustainable eating habits are behaviours which unconsciously making negative impact on our physical health, mental well-being and the environment. These habits often develop due to managing all tasks in our busy schedule or lack of nutritional awareness. Such habits increase carbon emissions in our body and it also leads to chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes and heart problems.
Breaking these unfavourable habits is very essential for our healthier future. To break these habits, we need nutrition awareness- understanding how and why we eat that particular food.
Comparison between Sustainable Eating Habits and Unsustainable Eating Habits
| Aspect | Sustainable Eating Habits | Unsustainable Eating Habits |
|---|---|---|
| Food Resource | More seasonal and fresh food | More processed and junk food |
| Food Waste | Minimal food waste | High level of food waste |
| Packaging | No use of plastic in packaging | High level usage of plastic in packaging |
| Human Health | Supports long-term health |
High risk of chronic diseases like:
• Diabetes • Obesity • Heart diseases |
| Processing Level | Very minimally processed food | Extremely processed food |
Steps for breaking unsustainable eating Patterns
1. Overconsumption and avoiding food waste:
We shouldn’t consume excessive food. Sometimes we eat excessively because of the delicious taste or greed for food. We should reduce our portion size by 20%. You must master to eat only when you are really hungry and stop eating when your stomach is 80% comfortably full. You can ask yourself these questions before eating “ Am I truly hungry, or am I bored, or tired ?” This will help you in avoiding overconsumption of food and eating in small portions.
2. Initiate with Small Steps:
As you know, adapting small steps in a busy schedule is very easy for anyone. Just by making small changes in your diet and how you are consuming food can change your lifestyle as well as improve your health. There are some suggestions which anyone can easily follow in their lifestyle-
- Start your day with drinking hot water on an empty stomach. This will help in promoting hydration, aiding digestion and improving blood circulation in the body. You can add cardamom, cinnamon, cumin powder too for extra benefits.
- Start your day with nutritious breakfast. You can eat soaked almonds, walnuts and raisins for sustaining energy.
- Practice Mindful eating by eating your meal without distractions and being fully present at the table. You shouldn’t watch TV, webseries while eating your meal.
- You can flavor your food with herbs, tamarind water and lemon instead of unhealthy sauces.
- Cut off sugar totally in your diet and consume food without sugar. Eating sugar leads to weight gain, tooth decay and damaging skin health.
- Must drink 6-8L of water per day. It helps in proper digestion, improving skin health and temperature regulation.
- You must eat your lunch and dinner on time for a healthier future. According to ayurveda, the ideal time for lunch is between 12:00 PM TO 1:30PM as this time our body’s digestive system{(agni) is strongest and the ideal time for dinner is before sunset or between 6:30PM OR 7:30PM. This helps in digesting food very efficiently before bed.
- Walking after having a meal is mandatory. You can’t avoid walking after a meal. It leads to aiding digestion, improving mood and heart health.
- Try to avoid drinking water just after eating. You must wait for a minimum 30-45 minutes after eating. As, it potentially causes bloating or gas in the stomach.
3. Processed and Fast Foods:
If you want to improve your lifestyle, you must avoid consuming processed food as they are excessively oily. Highly processed food tastes delicious but often unhealthy for heart health.
Alternative: You can replace processed foods with whole foods like fruit salad, nuts, veggies smoothie and home cooked meals. Try to fulfill your stomach with these healthier options rather than processed foods.
4. Ignoring Food origins:
Mindful eating also includes awareness about where our food comes from or how it’s produced. Many people eat their food without knowing where our food comes from or how it’s produced. Read about food ingredients and consume no sugary food or drinks.
It will make you more aware about your food. Once you become more aware of what you’re eating, you’ll start focusing on how you need to improve your diet.
While tackling a busy schedule, these changes seem small but collectively these habits make a huge impact in your lifestyle. Mindful eating is non-negotiable for a healthy life.
Therefore, journey towards healthy lifestyle begins with MINDFUL BITE
Written by: Priya Kwatra
Reviewed by: DieticianTips Editorial Team
