Mindful Eating

http://samadimd.com/
latesthealth/mindful-eating-making
-every-bite-count

Do you eat while driving, watching TV, or scrolling through Facebook? If so, you may be eating mindlessly. What did you eat yesterday? What color was the food? What was the texture of the food? Do you remember what it tasted like? If you can’t remember, you are a mindless eater.

Switching to mindful eating is simply a matter of paying attention. You become aware of your actions while eating, why you’re eating, and how you feel when eating. Mindful eating also helps provide insight to our physical an mental health. 

According to The Center for Mindful Eating, there are four principles of Mindfulness. These principles also be used in everyday life:

• Mindfulness is deliberately paying attention, non-judgmentally, in the present moment. In our fast paced lives, we do not typically focus on our meals. Which often leaves us feeling unsatisfied, resulting in snacking and/or less healthy decisions.  

• Mindfulness encompasses both internal processes and external environments. Stop and think about different times you eat a meal. Are you actually hungry or is it simply habit?

http://integrativehealthpartners.org/mindfulness.shtml

• Mindfulness is being aware of your thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations in the present moment. Eating when you are mad or anxious can leave your stomach feeling upset later. If you’re not in the right frame of mind, take some time to cool down before you eat. Take a short walk, deep breathing, or reading. 

• With practice, mindfulness frees you of reactive, habitual patterns of thinking, feeling, and acting. Is binge eating a habit when you feel anxious or depressed? Is eating pie a habit every Thanksgiving? Being aware of these habits is the first step towards mindfulness. 

More information about The Center For Mindful Eating can be found at the following web address: http://www.thecenterformindfuleating.org/Principles-Mindful-Eating

7 Mindful Eating Tips from the NEDA

Shift out of Autopilot Eating- Many people eat the same things all the time. They know it is easy and doesn’t require much thinking. For those who’ve had bariatric surgery, eating the same things all the time can lead to weight plateaus. Surprise your body by switching things up every once in a while.

http://www.foodnavigator.com/
Science/

Take mindful bites- Use all five sense while eating. Look at the color of your plate. If the plate consists of baked chicken, mashed potatoes, and cauliflower it may look a little boring. Chicken, roasted asparagus, and sliced strawberries is more visually appealing. Smell the food on your plate. Flavor is a combination of the food’s taste and aroma. To really appreciate the flavor of your food, breathe it all in. Feel the texture of the food in your mouth. Does Greek yogurt feel different from regular yogurt? Does the texture of the food change as the food changes temperature ( ice cream as it melts)? Listening to your food is the most difficult, but not impossible. Listening to the way food sounds can help indicate when the food is finished cooking.



Eat Attentively- Give food your 100% attention. When we eat while doing other things, we tend to not feel satisfied. If you want to eat while working on a task, stop to take a break and give all of your attention to your food.



Mindfully Check In- Before and during each meal, rate your hunger level on a scale of 1-10. Are you physically hungry? If not, what’s the reason you feel the need to eat? During meals, eat until you are satisfied, not overly stuffed. 

http://www.sensiblefoodie.ca/blog/the-hunger-scale-and-why-its-important

Think Mindfully- Be aware of critical thoughts you have of yourself and others. Negative thinking can lead to overeating. A thought is just a thought, not a fact. Remember, you don’t have to act on every thought that enters your brain. 

http://excelle.monster.com/benefits/
articles/4780-how-to-avoid-g
ossip-and-stay-popular

Speak Mindfully- Talking about eating and dieting is common, but can have a large impact on others listening. Think about what you’re saying and how words may affect someone else struggling with their weight.


Get support- Contact www.NationalEatingDisorders.org for more information or support from a professional trained in mindful eating counseling. 

These tips can be found online at http://www.uhs.berkeley.edu/eda/7Mindful.pdf

Recipe Corner

Spinach Ricotta Chicken Bake

http://www.food.com/recipe/spinach-ricotta-chicken-bake-438042

Use your all of your sense while eating this dish. What colors to you see? Can you pick out the nutmeg flavor? What does the ricotta feel like in your mouth?

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast, cut into thin strips
• 1 lb frozen spinach, thawed and chopped
• 15 oz low fat ricotta cheese
• 3 Tbs Parmesan cheese grated
• 2 egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce, reduced sodium

Directions:   

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Coat a 8-by-8 baking dish with olive oil spray.
3. Cook chicken in a skillet until just starting to brown.
4. Place the spinach in the middle of a clean dishtowel. Fold up the towel over the spinach and wring out as much moisture as possible.
5. Place the spinach in a large mixing bowl. Add the ricotta, Parmesan, egg whites, garlic powder and nutmeg. Stir well.
6. Move spinach mixture to the prepared dish over top of the chicken. With the back of a spoon, spread it out to uniformly fill the dish.
7. Bake for 20 minutes, or until is hot throughout and the top begins to brown. Let stand for five minutes to slightly cool.
8. Place the sauce in sauce pan. Heat until warm. Spoon sauce over chicken-spinach-ricotta bake. Serve immediately.

Salmon and Summer Veggies

http://www.cookingclassy.com/2015/06/salmon-and-summer-veggies-in-foil/

See the colors of the vegetables in this dish, try to pick out flavors of different herbs that have been added in. 

Ingredients

• 4 (5 - 6 oz) skinless salmon fillets
• 2 small zucchini (13 oz) sliced into half moons
• 2 small yellow squash (13 oz) sliced into half moons
• 2 shallots, 1 thinly sliced and 1 chopped (there are usually two in a whole shallot)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 1/2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 large Roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
• 3/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried marjoram

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut 4 sheets of aluminum foil into 17-inch lengths.
2. Toss zucchini, squash, sliced shallot and garlic together with 1 Tbsp olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste and divide among 4 sheets of foil, placing veggies in center of foil.
3. Brush salmon fillets with 1 Tbsp of the olive oil, season bottom side with salt and pepper then place one fillet over each layer of veggies on foil. Drizzle lemon juice over salmon and season top with salt and pepper.
4. Toss together tomatoes, remaining diced shallot, thyme, oregano and marjoram with remaining 1 1/2 tsp olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Divide tomato mixture over salmon fillets. Wrap sides of foil inward then fold up ends to seal. 
5. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and bake in preheated oven until salmon has cooked through, about 25 - 30 minutes (cook time may vary based on thickness of salmon fillets). Carefully open foil packets and serve warm.