This Holiday Season, Eat Mindful, Not Mindless

Christmas time in Singapore gives locals another excuse to do what we love most: shop and eat – mostly eating – followed by weight gain and a New Year’s resolution to lose weight!

So, why not take a healthier approach to what we eat this holiday season and beyond?

According to survey results published in The Straits Times in August 2017, the majority of Singaporeans are not eating enough fruits & vegetables, with 70% of them unaware of the recommended daily intake. They are also not getting enough exercise. However, 43% of Singaporeans will be motivated to commit to healthier options, if they have an enjoyable experience of exercising and eating healthily.

The good news is, you can still enjoy your favourite occasional indulgences and yet eat healthily. The key is moderation, and this is all about being mindful of what you eat.

Mindless Eating

Mindless eating is consuming food just because it is there – eating while distracted when watching the television, working at a computer or texting on our smartphones. It is eating for emotional comfort, instead of for hunger. Simply put, it is not paying attention to what we eat, which can lead to being overweight and even obesity, thus increasing your risk for cardiovascular disease.

“Mindless eating has always been an issue,” said Riska Platt, M.S., a registered dietitian and certified nutritionist for the Cardiac Rehabilitation Center at Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York. “The key to mindful eating is awareness. Just by paying more attention to what you eat, you are more likely to make beneficial changes.”

Awareness

When you pay attention to what you eat, small changes can be made with a big impact. Here are some tips toward a more mindful approach:

Control portions. With more opportunities to feast on festive snacks and desserts, try to eat smaller portions and less often instead of depriving yourself.

Eat when you are hungry. You do not have to eat just because food is available, and it is noon. But do not wait until you are famished because you might overeat.

Plan. Prepare healthy snacks throughout the day, bring along a 200-calorie, whole-grain or high-fiber snack. Fiber keeps you feeling full longer.

Slow down. Enjoy each bite and put your fork down while chewing, then take a drink between each bite. This gives your body enough time to trigger your brain that you are satisfied (not necessarily full).

Pay attention. Do not eat in front of the TV, during a computer game or when talking on the phone. When you are busy doing something else, you are more likely to lose track of how much you have eaten.

Use technology. As we continue to become increasingly distracted by modern technology, our focus on health can fall to the back burner. However, we can actually use technology to our advantage via apps that manage food records, count calories and even provide guidance on healthy food choices at the grocery store or restaurants.

Keep a food diary. Write down everything you eat together with the calories, look at it, then identify why you ate it – was it hunger, stress or boredom? Look for areas of adjustments and incorporate healthy changes.

“Keeping a food diary is really key to awareness,” Platt said. “Most people are surprised at all they have consumed, when they review what they have eaten.”

Eating healthier is easier than you think. Take that first step today!

Article adopted from the American Heart Association