Mindful Eating for Optimal Digestion — No Shoes Nutrition | Certified Holistic Nutrition Consultant + Coach

By: Meghan Prescott

Mindfulness is a catchy word these days, but in the world of holistic nutrition, it has been a long-used approach to eating that we teach our clients to equip them for optimal health. I wonder what words come to mind when you think about the word mindfulness. I think of being in the moment, present, aware, peaceful, and connected. When we talk about the concept of mindfulness when it comes to our nutrition, it touches on a number of aspects of our approach to how we prepare, present, and participate in eating on a daily basis. We all have to eat. That goes without saying. The way we choose to shop for our food, the particular styles of food we enjoy, and how we consume that food all come together, and if we aren’t mindful about these things, our digestion can end up suffering. Very often, minor digestive issues clear up very quickly when we apply the principles of mindfulness to our eating.

This week we are going to focus on how to be mindful as we eat our food to maximize digestion and the absorption of nutrients. It can be tricky with all the summer gatherings and BBQs, so this might be perfect timing!

How many of us seem to think of our meals as an afterthought? We live busy lives, and eating on the go is a way of life for many of us. What if I told you that grabbing that breakfast sandwich or burger as you fly from one place to another and scarfing it down with hardly a thought about what you’re doing can affect your health in drastic ways? When we eat this way, we are really just shoving in calories for survival, but we are definitely not thriving. If we’re eating while we’re super stressed, our bodies are in fight or flight mode. That means that our rest and digest mode is on pause, and our bodies can’t deal with the food we’re eating in an optimal way. We actually miss out on nutrient absorption and can end up with all kinds of gut and digestive imbalances because our systems can’t deal with good nutrient absorption and high stress at the same time.

So, what do we do about this?

1. Prep, prep, prep! You’ve heard it from us before, and we will keep saying it! Taking time to stock your kitchen with nutrient-dense, delicious food, and having good options already prepared to grab when life is busy is key to avoiding the drive-thru. Having those containers of pre-chopped veggies, fruit, proteins, nuts, cheese, etc. can make all the difference. It’s harder to give ourselves excuses to make less great decisions when we’ve already put in the work to have good food ready to go.

2. Take time to enjoy your meals. I know life is busy, but if we can take even 10 minutes to slow down, sit, and properly chew each bite, it can make a huge difference to the way our bodies process that meal.

3. Practice Gratitude. While you’ve taken a few minutes to slow down, take that time to appreciate the food you’re eating, the people you’re with (or the break from people!), and to be thankful for the people who grew and raised the food you’re eating. Having an attitude of gratitude can help activate our rest and digest mode.

These are just a few small things that can make a huge difference for your digestion and overall health! We are here for you if you need some help getting these practices incorporated into your life!

Are you looking to get even healthier? Are you trying to stay on track and could use some support with mindfulness? Has the summer brought you to a standstill in reaching your health and wellness goals? Curious about how nutritional health coaching can help you make healthy changes? Let’s talk! Schedule an initial complimentary consultation with us today—or pass this offer on to someone you care about! Visit www.noshoesnutrition.com and sign up for a FREE consultation. We work with people from all over the world individually or in groups, so don’t let anything hold you back!