Well, here we are: the festive season with all its delicious temptations is over and most of us are about to return to work. If over-indulgences over the holidays have left your post-Christmas digestive health in dire straits, this can be a daunting thought – so the first thing to do is to get your digestion back on track.
Formulated to help you get relief from abdominal discomfort, bloating, heartburn and other symptoms of upper gastrointestinal disorders, silicolgel can help you with that – as can these mindful eating tips…
What is Mindful Eating?
Before we go into how to eat mindfully, let’s take a brief look at what mindfulness and mindful eating are:
Mindfulness is the practice of “being in the moment”, of focusing on what you are doing right now, savouring each moment without distractions. Enabling you to get more “in tune” with your body, promoting better, more restful sleep and reducing stress, mindfulness ultimately also promotes better digestive health.
Mindful eating is therefore all about giving your undivided attention to the food you eat and how it smells, looks, tastes and makes you feel.
Focusing on your food like this and appreciating that eating is not a pleasureless, passive event but a highly fulfilling, complex process that supplies your body with nourishment and energy improves your awareness of what you are putting into your body.
Thereby improving your relationship with food, this in turn allows you to make better, healthier food choices and consequently helps to get your digestive health back on track. Combined with regular exercise, mindful eating may even help to lose some of the weight you may have put on during the festive season.
Mindful Eating Tips
So, how do you eat mindfully? The process is quite simple:
Take Note of Your Feelings and Cravings – To help you eat more mindfully and make better, more conscious food decisions, take note of your cravings, feelings and where, when and why you usually eat (i.e. before you eat, take a moment to ask yourself why you wish to do so: am I about to eat because I am hungry, because I am thirsty or simply because I am bored?)
Slow Your Mind – Drink water before you eat to slow down your mind and allow yourself to fully concentrate on the impending process of eating. This will also help you prevent overeating.
Eliminate Distractions – Being distracted can lead to poor food choices, missing signs of fullness and consequently overeating and physical discomfort, so allow yourself to eat without distractions (i.e. turn off your computer, music, TV, etc.)
Eat Fresh, Vibrantly Coloured and Flavourful Foods – Notice your foods’ colours and subtle flavours to develop a greater taste and appreciation for naturally healthy whole foods. 
Chew and Savour Every Bite – Thoroughly chew and savour every bite you take to slow the process of eating, allow yourself to take note of the complex textures and flavours of your food and consequently aid your digestion.
Eat with Excitement and Joy – Be kind to yourself and genuinely enjoy your meals (rather than feeling guilty and judgemental of yourself every time you eat) to prevent overeating, aid your digestion and take good care of your entire body and well-being.
Stop and Wait – Wait a while before getting seconds, because it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to get your gut’s “I’m full” signal. Taking a break between helpings allows you to consciously decide whether you really need seconds.
Finally, if you feel like a snack between meals, make a cup of tea first, because preparing and sipping a delicious cup of herbal tea not only helps to soothe your digestive system but also often takes the urge to eat something away.
