How to choose foods that promote healthy living has been an issue for many. Mindful eating generally does not concern itself with the foods you eat. Instead, it focuses more on how the foods make you feel. The approach is meant to make it less stressful for you so that you don’t feel like you’re starving or denying yourself too much.
It’s like the rudder is in your hands and where you decide to travel is your choice. The goal is to make you want to eat better and feel better. Over time, your food choices are supposed to be more informed and you will think before you eat. It will be easier for you to choose foods that promote healthy living.
This is a sensible approach. However, in most cases, men and women adopt mindful eating with a goal in mind. They’re either interested in losing weight, feeling healthier or remedying some health problem like high cholesterol, diabetes, etc.
These men and women wish to become healthy and may also have an exercise regimen that they follow. So, it would be prudent to mindfully choose foods that promote fitness, good health and of course, lose weight.
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Food Choices
Let’s look at food choices that you may wish to explore. The processed and unhealthy foods are addictive and even if you eat mindfully, the body will still crave these foods and you’ll continue consuming them.
The goal should always be to wean yourself off these poor food choices and only consume them occasionally. To do that, you’ll need to choose healthy foods now and then even if you’re eating mindfully.
Taking into account your food beliefs, eating habits, preferences and dislikes, you’ll need to analyze why you like certain foods and how you can replace them with healthier options.
For example, if you like consuming a can of soda while watching TV, you may realize that it’s not the soda you like but the cold, sweet taste of a liquid going down your throat. What if you replaced the soda with iced, freshly squeezed apple juice?
You would feel just as good. The natural sugars from the apple juice would be a good substitute for the soda which is just a mixture of chemicals, sugar and water. The same applies to any other food. When you eat mindfully, you’ll constantly be thinking of how you can improve your diet.
Now let’s look at some of the best foods that you can eat to promote better health and fitness.
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Fibrous vegetables
This is a piece of good news. The good news is that you can eat as much fibrous vegetables as you want without worries about gaining weight.
Fibrous vegetables will take up a lot of space in your stomach and make you feel full faster. When eating, it’s best to slowly chew and swallow all the veggies first. Your stomach will get full faster and you’ll be less likely to overeat the other foods. The end result is better digestion, fewer calories consumed and weight loss.
A few examples of fibrous vegetables are broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, beets, cucumbers, spinach, watercress, green beans, okra, asparagus, cabbage, eggplant, tomatoes, romaine lettuce, collard greens, celery, turnips, bean sprouts, etc.
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Lean proteins
Replacing fatty meat with lean cuts of meat is another great way to improve your diet. The taste will mostly be the same so you won’t be giving up too much. Instead of eating hamburgers from junk food outlets, you’re better off eating a lean cut of beef.
You’ll feel satiated and the protein from the lean cut of meat is exactly what your body needs. Try and get lean cuts of any type of meat you consume. When eating chicken, remove the skin. Boiling, roasting and grilling are always better than frying.
Eggs are great for keeping you healthy and preventing hunger cravings. Many who eat 2 eggs a day for breakfast often lose more weight and have more energy. The protein in the eggs are responsible for this.
Since eggs are tasty, you can eat them without worry but try not to eat more than 3 a day.
Mindfully eating is not only about cultivating a healthy relationship with food but it’s also about choosing the right foods to make you feel better and look better. When you give your body the nutrients it needs, it will not constantly develop hunger pangs. Weight loss will also become much easier.
Many men and women struggle to lose weight because of food cravings. Replacing the foods with healthier alternatives, the cravings will subside.
The excess weight will also melt off since it becomes easier to lose weight when there are less toxins in the body and fewer insulin spikes. So, do remember to make small changes for the better in your diet when you’re eating mindfully.
Disclaimer: This website is written by a regular human. I am not a Health Professional. Please get professional medical advice for your specific health needs.