In recent years, mindfulness—defined as “a mental state or attitude in which one focuses one’s awareness on the present moment”—has become embedded into our everyday language. Mindfulness has helped many people develop the skills necessary to manage chronic pain, depression, anxiety, stress, and sleeping disorders. It has also become a popular way to change eating behaviors under the term “mindful eating”.
Mindful eating encourages people to pay attention to food with all of their senses, noticing the physical and emotional responses that take place before, during, and after an eating experience. Mindful eating teaches people to use wisdom to guide eating decisions, acknowledge food preferences non-judgementally, and recognize physical hunger cues.
