Book Review: Mindful Eating

How long does it take you to eat lunch? 10 minutes? 15 minutes? Have you ever found yourself sitting at your desk or in front of the TV, realizing that you have no recollection of what you’ve eaten? If so, you’re not alone. We live in a busy world, where fast is expected. This impacts us in all areas, including the way we eat. Mindless eating does not necessarily imply a disorder needing psychiatric assistance. It is a habit that many of us employ when we’re simply not paying attention. In Mindful Eating, Jan Chozen Bays, MD shares how to have a better relationship with food through mindful eating. She teaches readers about different types of hunger, since we often look to satisfy another type of hunger with food. Having an unbalanced relationship with food is easy to do in our culture. Everything is fast, and we learn from our environment. Portion sizes have also changed drastically. Look at your plate the next time you go to a restaurant and you’ll see how much larger those portions are, compared to years ago. “If we want to feel satisfied as we eat, the mind has to be aware of what is occurring in the mouth,” writes Chozen Bays. Not only do we practice mindlessness during meals, we are often not mindful about when we choose to eat our meals as well. Do we eat because of hunger, or simply because we always eat lunch at noon? When we go out to a restaurant, do we always order dessert because that’s our habit? Chozen Bays teaches readers how to ...
Source: Psych Central - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Tags: Binge Eating Book Reviews Bulimia Diet & Nutrition Eating Disorders Healthy Living Mindfulness Self-Help Weight Loss books about eating mindful eating Source Type: news