Have you ever heard the term “mindful eating” and wondered what it was all about?
In our daily lives, many of us are grabbing breakfast as we run out the door – if we are eating it at all – then scarfing down lunch at our desk and maybe buying a take-out dinner and grazing on it in the car ride home. This would be an extreme example of a non-mindful day of eating, but unfortunately many of us can identify with these bad habits!
So, what is the opposite? What is “mindful” eating for FODMAPs and IBS? And how does it connect to our Low FODMAP lifestyle?
It starts in the supermarket- we rush through the aisles grabbing food off shelves. It continues in the kitchen where the preparation of food can be looked at as a chore. Then we get to the table – or our favorite chair in front of the TV – and eat our meal in less than 10 minutes.
If you are following the Low FODMAP diet, it was most likely recommended by a gastroenterologist or RDN as a way to alleviate your IBS symptoms – and it is known that stress can be an IBS trigger!
Eating in a hurry is often a stress-related behavior, and in today’s blog, we are focusing on the actual act of eating. After all, it is one of our favorite activities! The holiday season can be extra busy and chaotic, and mindful eating can really make a positive difference – in our digestion as well as in our overall enjoyment of our holiday festivities!
So how do we unravel our negative behaviors and actions? It takes mindfulness, which is just like it sounds. We need to start paying attention to our food, our meals, FODMAPs and IBS. You will be surprised at what happens when you do!
Eating is a sensory and social experience, it engages all of our senses and our mind, and what we are talking about here is taking the time to think about your dining experiences relating to FODMAPs and IBS.
Here are our Don’ts:
Now, let’s look at our Do’s:
And don’t think that you must wait for your holiday meal to start eating mindfully. At Fody, we want you to ALWAYS enjoy your food, FODMAPs and IBS included. Think about adding one of these practices each day starting now and before you know it, you will be smelling the roses – or the turkey as the case may be!