Mindful Eating For Busy Moms: How To Prioritize Nutrition Amidst Hectic Schedules

Feb 12

The modern mom is being pulled in a million different directions at any given moment during the day. It can be challenging to prioritize how we choose to nourish ourselves when we are busy prioritizing so many other things for other people.

The concept of mindful eating is nothing new, but how we choose to apply it to our daily lives can be personalized and then updated based on what we need in any given season. Mindful eating can be utilized as a powerful tool for improving the well-being of busy moms, especially amidst the constant chaos.

WHAT IS MINDFUL EATING?

According to the Harvard School of Public Health, mindful eating is “a process by which you are using all of your physical and emotional senses to experience and enjoy the food choices you make.” Listening to what your body truly needs and then removing distractions so you can be fully present to appreciate and engage in the process of nourishing your mind and body.

Mindful eating can benefit busy moms in a variety of ways by nurturing healthier food choices, reducing stress around mealtime, and generally enhancing overall satisfaction with eating. It can take on many forms but often involves:

practicing full presence and removing distractions such as the tv or phone.
giving gratitude, even if it is something small, for the ability to nourish your body.
paying attention to hunger cues, and eating only until you are comfortably full.
learning to distinguish between real hunger and emotional hunger triggers.
noticing how food makes you feel before and after your meal.
engaging all the senses when you are eating by noticing the smell, colors, textures, and flavors.

CHALLENGES FACED BY BUSY MOMS

The idea of practicing mindful eating sounds great in theory, but it can be a challenge for many busy moms. Learning a new concept and applying it to your daily life when you already have a million things to do, feels daunting. However, the benefits of adopting a diet-based mindfulness practice can radically improve the health and well-being of those who choose to let go of their preconceived notions and go all in.

One of the main barriers faced by busy moms is time. I know you have a lot on your plate because I, too, have a lot on mine. Yet, when we set aside even 10-15 minutes to sit properly and eat our meals, we are engaging in a process that nourishes our bodies, lowers our stress levels, and provides vital energy that we need to get through our chaotic days.

Another barrier we face, although self-induced, is limiting distractions when we eat. We are constantly inundated with notifications, emails, and phone calls. It is more likely than not that the world doesn’t fall apart in 10 minutes. Attention is one of our greatest assets, and directing it towards an activity that nurtures our mental and physical health as opposed to directing it towards something that stresses us out is critical for maintaining a sense of peace at various points in our day. Plus, when we are in a state of calm, we digest our food better and reap more benefits from the nourishment we are providing ourselves.

As a busy mom, it can be tempting to prioritize convenience over nutrition… and I am no stranger to having days where you just have to grab and go. Yet, too many days like these can leave you feeling depleted and like you are running on fumes… BECAUSE YOU ARE. When we know we have a “fly by the seat of your pants day” a few days a week or month, it actually gives us the power to plan ahead in these scenarios. No one likes to go all day without eating and then completely lose control when they get home. Meal planning, component and batch cooking, as well as grocery shopping for nutrient-dense snacks and pre-made items, can help ease the internal disorder that arises when we are always on the go by properly fueling our minds and bodies.

PRACTICAL TIPS FOR MINDFUL EATING

Like I said before, introducing a new practice into your life can feel a little overwhelming… but it doesn’t have to be. There are many simple ways to practice mindful eating and here are a few of my favorites.

#1: Eliminate Distractions

The easiest way to do this is to turn off the TV (if it’s on) and/or place your phone in your purse or another room. Eliminating distractions creates an environment where you are more engaged not only in the process of eating but the feeling as well. Mindless and distracted eating tends to result in over-eating and then the feelings that accompany that afterward. Plus having 10-15 minutes where you can disconnect from the noise and just focus on the task at hand (nourishing yourself) helps to lower your stress levels and allows you to recharge for the second part of your day.

#2: Chew Your Food

When we are in a hurry, which most busy moms are, actually taking the time to chew your food doesn’t ever really cross your mind. Yet, the digestive process begins in the mouth, and chewing our food properly is beneficial in a variety of ways. It helps our bodies absorb more nutrients, eases indigestion, makes it easier to notice your hunger cues, and allows you to pay more attention to all the flavors and textures of your meal, making it even more enjoyable. To begin, I recommend clients start with at least 10 chews per bite and work up to 20. As time goes on, this process can start to feel almost meditative, and if you want to take it a step further, you can journal how you feel after meals where you focus on this.

#3: Give Gratitude

Giving gratitude, thanks, appreciation… whatever you want to call it, can help us shift the narrative around meal times, especially if they feel like a time burden, we have a complicated relationship with food, or if you’re someone who has been taught that eating less means eating healthier. Food is fuel, and when we give thanks for the ability to nourish ourselves, the negative emotions begin to be replaced with feelings of appreciation. The happiness, joy, and enthusiasm that now is associated with mealtime propels us to want to continue the process of nourishing ourselves properly.

#4: Pay Attention To Hunger Cues

In our fast-paced day-to-day, many busy moms spend their mornings and afternoons running on adrenaline and coffee. Running on fumes shouldn’t be normal and the chaos it brings to our day is a simple fix if we can slow down and tune in to how we are really feeling. A great tool to utilize in this process is the hunger-fullness scale. This scale is a practical tool to help us identify our body’s hunger and fullness cues so we don’t allow ourselves to get to those out-of-control “hangry” points or need to unbutton our pants from being stuffed to a point beyond what is comfortable.

#5: Take 5 Deep Breaths

Utilizing your breath before mealtime is an easy and effective way to lower stress markers as well as prime the body for your other mindful eating practices. Once again, when we engage in activities that lower our stress levels, it radically improves digestion and, therefore, our body’s ability to get the most out of the nourishment we are providing it.

HOW TO BEGIN

Starting small and building upon a foundation before you begin to optimize is the most effective way to make mindful eating a habit. To begin, pick one meal a day to focus on. Once eating mindfully at that one meal feels more natural, you can begin to utilize those same techniques throughout your other meals and snack times. This will ultimately create the sense of balance and ease you are looking for when nourishing your mind and body as a busy mom.

At my practice, The Framework, I help busy moms just like you overcome their daily struggles with prioritizing nutrition so they can feel confident, balanced, and at ease with their well-being. If this is something you need help with, schedule a FREE consultation with me!