Have you ever wondered what place food occupies in your life, before what situations do you eat? Standing or sitting, in a pleasant environment, without distractions, or at a desk in front of the computer and cell phone?

If we had to name reasons why we eat, we could say that we eat out of necessity, hunger, pleasure, when we are sad, anxious or happy, when we see available food, we eat what is at our fingertips, and so we could continue to make a long list of situations that lead us to eat, the vast majority of the time without having a record of what we eat, or the amount. Some studies report that every day we make around 200 decisions related to food; and how many are we really aware of?

Eating is a complex sensory experience. Many times, in order to lose weight, we undergo very restrictive diets where it is only important to count calories, without taking into account the many factors that influence eating behavior, which sooner or later will lead us to link ourselves in an unhealthy way with food.

From the time we start eating until the brain registers satiety, at least 20 minutes pass. If we eat automatically, quickly and without registering, we believe that we are still hungry and we continue eating to then feel heavy or very full, an unpleasant sensation.

To eat less, a powerful tool is to exercise mindful eating. No prohibitions. Eating with hunger and satiety cues in mind, helps decide when to start and when to stop eating. Mindful of every bite, using every sense to be able to choose foods that are both pleasurable and nourishing to the body.

Paying attention to what we eat and how we eat makes it easier to change inappropriate automatic habits for healthier ones. To achieve a comfortable and healthy body, start by removing the automatic, stop and decide to serve yourself on a plate 10% less, then sit at the table, drink water, chew and taste each bite before swallowing, leave the cutlery on the table between bites, without distractions, being present throughout the process and eating just enough.

Perform this exercise at least once a day and gradually incorporate a new way of eating. Remember that more important than eating is knowing that you ate.

Lic. María Soledad del Boca – MP 1998

Nutrition Area

La Posada del Qenti