Published to Newsletter on Apr 27, 2023
Reed Vawter, MS, RDN, CSOWM, LD
Health Ed. Consultant
At Employee Wellness, we love to advocate for mindfulness. It’s wonderful for stress relief, anxiety reduction, lowering blood pressure, and improved sleep. But did you know that mindfulness can also benefit your nutrition?
It’s true! Here are four ways a mindfulness practice can improve your eating:
Reduce stress eating
The more stress we experience, the more likely we are to stress eat. Since mindfulness can help us manage stress, it can also help manage stress eating. Plus, part of mindfulness is practicing non-reactivity. Over time, this helps us resist that urge to soothe our feelings with food.
Improve awareness of hunger and fullness
Many of us struggle to listen to hunger and fullness signals. This often leads to emotional eating and overeating. Mindfulness helps us tune into our body sensations, improving our recognition of hunger and fullness. This makes us better able to eat the right amount of food – not too much, and not too little.
Better digestion
Stress puts our body into “fight or flight” mode, which can lead to poor digestion. We may experience gas, bloating, abdominal discomfort, reflux, constipation, diarrhea and more. Mindfulness helps calm the body, shifting it to “rest and digest” mode. In this state, the body is better able to prioritize digestion, reducing these uncomfortable symptoms.
Improved microbiome
There is even research suggesting that regular mindfulness practice might alter the gut microbiome, potentially reducing the risk of anxiety and depression, while also boosting the immune system and reducing the risk of some chronic diseases.
If you want to build a mindfulness practice, check out the mindfulness classes at the Center for Life. Try out our pre-recorded meditations. Use your tuition remission for a mindfulness workshop through Continuing Education. Or discuss mindfulness eating habits by scheduling a free consultation with our Employee Wellness registered dietitian.
Tags: Wellness
