10 tips for mindful eating, a possible key to weight-loss
No trendy and tough diet plans, just some behavioural hacks for mindful eating
Are you tired of the never-ending cycle of overeating and dieting? Food is frequently reduced to ingredient lists, calorie counts, or transient visuals on social media platforms today. Media content of perfect bodies, diets that promise quick results, and the unrelenting pursuit of physical ideals surround us.
Mindful eating strengthens the relationship with food, realising how it affects physical and mental health; it is a transformative journey that simply comes with practice.
Sahil Bansal, co-founder and CEO of a personalised diet planner and fitness app, shares with a news agency 10 behavioural hacks for mindful eating.
Eat slowly, take 10% less calorie
When we eat quickly, we end up eating more than required and don’t have control over food intake. On the other hand, chewing slowly allows the body to break down the food, thereby preventing digestive problems. This technique will help you to reduce your calorie intake by up to 10%.
Small plates, big impact!
Your brain takes 15-20 minutes to understand if your stomach is full. A bigger plate has more space to adjust a few extra dishes and you will end up eating more. Replacing it with a small plate can prevent you from overloading your plate and help you maintain a healthy weight.
Mind your drinks
Without realising you are having an excess of it. A sugary pitfall is hidden in every meal, from morning breakfast to midday ‘lassi’, or any other beverage you prefer with your meal.
We must be cautious about ‘what we eat/drink’ because some foods might be high in sugar and low in nutrients, making the weight loss journey difficult.
Something like a glass of lassi might be considered healthy and tempt you to take a few sips, but a single serving can contain up to 30 gm of added sugar, which is more than the recommended daily intake.
Avoid cereals & packaged fruit juices
Packaged fruit juices are not as healthy as they may appear. Fruit juices might appear healthy but are a hidden source of sugar and artificial sweeteners.
A single cup of ready-made/packaged fruit juice can contain up to 20 gm of sugar, nearly reaching the daily intake limit.
Some individuals might also consider cereals as a convenient breakfast, but they can also be a sugary trap. One bowl of breakfast cereal can contain as much as 12 gm of sugar.
Packaged snacks- a pool of sodium!
Packaged snacks offer convenience but at a nutritional cost. A small ₹20 packet of chips can contain up to 300-400 mg of sodium.
An individual is recommended to limit the intake of sodium up to 1500 mg per day, as per guidelines issued by the American College of Cardiology and Physicians worldwide.
Many packaged or restaurant soups contain up to 800 mg of sodium per serving. Talking about instant noodles which might be your go-to instant meal, just one pack could cover up to 70% of an individual’s daily sodium needs.
Sodium traps threaten your health; therefore, go for unprocessed meals that promote wholesome living.
Consume more seasonal grains
With superior taste, cost savings, and environment-friendliness, seasonal produce shines brightly.
By incorporating fresh flavours, your plate becomes a reflection of the changing seasons, promoting wellness within.
Don’t cook food on high flame
Treat your food with care. To retain healthy nutrients, avoid high flames. Selecting mellow cooking methods will help in retaining the nutrients in food and improve overall well being.
Plate over Bag
The best way to conquer the snack attack is eating from a plate rather than from a packet/bag directly. Enjoy your chips, popcorn, or nachos but put it on the plate first.
When eating from a bag, we tend to overeat as we do not have a visual cue of food intake. Whereas, plate usage allows us to monitor consumption and indicate when to slow down.
Don’t fall for fad diets
A fad diet is a trendy weight-loss plan that promises dramatic results. When on a weight-loss journey, long-term permanent results should always be your ultimate goal.
Fad diets have their own set of restrictions and can lead to nutrient deficiencies. These diets not only hamper the physical but also the mental health of an individual.
Focus on changing your dietary patterns and make habit transformations to achieve long-term results in your weight loss journey.
Read those labels!
Reading food labels holds the key to making informed food selections. Understand the amount of sugar, fat, and other components in food and it can hold immense power in shaping your journey towards mindful eating.
Labels like “sugar-free, no-sugar, gluten-free, healthy and organic” are not always genuine. Substantial amounts of fat and other harmful ingredients may be present in it.
It is essential to curb your cravings and choose natural foods over processed ones.
(Source: IANS)
-Edited for style
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