mindful eating practice during quarantine

Being stuck at home has increased cooking at home tenfold. Grocery sales have skyrocketed as the new trend becomes cooking daily quarantine feasts. This new normal can be seen as a good thing. Taking the time to cook with our families and friends and enjoy a meal at home is so special. Not to mention cooking at home can be monumentally healthier than takeout or going out to eat.

But why are we cooking so much? Is it due to pure boredom in the house? A need to fill the space of anxiety we hold while staying at home during a crisis?

I discovered a new social phenomenon while reading an article about this the other day. This new act is called “stress baking.”  It is defined as an extreme increase in baking desserts or entrees that take a long amount of time. This was incredibly interesting to me and made me think. Yes, it is great we are cooking more and enjoying meals at home, yet is this a good reason to be cooking and eating? 

This led me to believe that it is especially important to practice mindful eating during quarantine. This is a time when, if we are lucky, we are constantly surrounded by resources of groceries and food. This is also a time when our usual, everyday activities are limited. This combination can cause our minds to race and our bodies to become restless. A natural reaction to all of this anxiety is--you guessed it--eating. We need to make sure that when we are eating, our reasoning behind the action is mindful. 
This Livestrong article is about ways to prevent overeating and practice becoming mindful around our food. You can read it here. 

Livestrong Article

To sum up the article, here are the five main ways to practice mindful eating:

1.    Designate meal times: setting aside specific times to eat, instead of snacking all day is very beneficial towards mindful eating. It helps you realize your natural hunger and fullness cues, regulates your metabolism, and helps us eat without distraction 
2.    Focus on your food: Studies have shown that eating with little to no distraction leads to less eating throughout the day. Focusing on your meals helps you truly appreciate the experience of eating and helps keep you satisfied longer. For your next meal, try turning off electronics, setting down your fork between every few bites, and take a little longer to eat your food. These practices will lead to better enjoyment and longer satisfaction.
3.    Limit viewing the news. Watching the news is already pretty stressful, but it has increased exponentially during this outbreak. Stress is a huge factor in overeating, so any way we can limit stress, the better off we are. Yes, it is important to stay updated on what is going on in the outside world. So it is recommended to turn off the news an hour before or during your meal. 
4.    Snack responsibly: we already know this one. Snacks are important to hold you over through the day or give you that extra energy you needed during a mid-day slump. However, it is important that when choosing snacks, we eat high in protein and fiber. These types of snacks will keep us satisfied longer, and give us those good nutrients we need. A good example of this is fruit and nut butter or veggies and hummus. 
5.    Be kind to yourself: It is completely normal for eating patterns to be not so normal during times of chaos. So remember to be kind to yourself. Being kind to ourselves is a very important factor in mindful eating. If we are hard on ourselves or practice cruel inner dialogue, then it is more likely to encourage a negative pattern of shame, overeating, and more shame. We don’t want that. If we are patient and kind, then we are more likely to practice mindfulness towards ourselves and others. 

Need a good recipe to make and eat mindfully? Here is one I made the other day that my family loved!

Lentil Soup With Veggies