What is mindful eating?

Mindful eating is about being fully present and engaged with the act of eating. It involves tuning into your body's hunger and fullness cues, appreciating the flavors, textures, and sensations of food, and eating without distraction. But mindful eating isn't just about food—it's about cultivating a deeper connection to ourselves and our environment.

An example of how environment and connection influence behavior can be found in the Rat Park experiment. In the 1970s, psychologist Bruce K. Alexander conducted a study on addiction using rats. In the first part of the experiment, rats were isolated in small cages and given a choice between plain water or water laced with heroin or cocaine. The rats, feeling isolated and deprived of social interaction, overwhelmingly chose the drug-laced water, consuming it to the point of overdose.

However, in the second part of the experiment, the rats were placed in a large, enriched environment called Rat Park. This “park” included ample space, toys, and social connections with other rats. In this stimulating environment, the rats chose plain water over the drug-laced water, showing little interest in the drugs. The difference was stark: when the rats had a fulfilling, supportive environment, they were less likely to engage in harmful behavior.

This experiment speaks to a profound truth about human behavior. Just as the rats in isolation turned to substances for comfort, many of us, when disconnected from our body and our environment, may turn to food in ways that aren’t aligned with our true needs. Mindful eating offers a way out of this cycle. By fostering a supportive environment—one that encourages connection to our body, our food, and our emotions—we can make healthier, more intentional choices. If you are interested in learning more about this experiment click here to study out the rat park in detail here.

How Does Mindful Eating Differ from Dieting?

I grew up dieting. Starting in high school, I began monitoring what I ate, making decisions about food to help me lose weight. I spent my entire youth jumping from one diet to the next, but I never found the permanent weight loss I was looking for.

I often think about the Rat Park experiment to illustrate the difference between dieting and mindful eating. When you go on a diet, it feels like you’re isolating yourself from the world around you, carefully avoiding temptation. Foods that aren't part of your diet become "enemies" that you seek to stay away from.

When I was in my mid-twenties, I was on my last diet—veganism. I didn’t just go vegan; I also trained for triathlons. My life revolved around training, going to work, and maintaining my vegan diet. And honestly, it was probably the best shape I had ever been in.

Physically, I looked great. But as I looked at my life, I realized it was like the cage from the Rat Park experiment. I had everything structured, but I felt trapped, avoiding life outside my diet. I didn’t go out much with friends, I feared attending social events like devotionals because I worried about the delicious appetizers sabotaging my diet, and I wasn’t taking steps toward achieving my dream of becoming a wife and a mother.

When I finally stepped out of that cage, I gained back control—but shortly after, I found myself at my heaviest weight. I had no control over the foods my body craved. It wasn’t just eating one donut; I was eating six. It wasn’t one slice of pizza; I ate half a box. I felt like the rat overdosing on drug-laced water—food became my drug. But as I left the diet world behind, I realized something important: food had always been my drug, and it stemmed from all those years of dieting.

Mindful eating is different. It’s about reclaiming your life. It's about choosing to be part of the "Rat Park" and making a pure choice. You choose a balanced life, where your emotional well-being is restored, your social life is revived, and food becomes just one part of a fulfilling, connected existence. The emotional attachment to food—like the drug—is naturally diminished as you embrace balance.

Mindful eating is about taking ownership of your choices and overcoming the emotional attachment to food. It's about restoring balance in every aspect of your life.

What Are the Benefits of Mindful Eating?

Other than the freedom to live your life the way you've always wanted, mindful eating offers many benefits, such as:

• Better digestion

• Improved relationship with food

• Reduced stress around eating

• Greater sense of overall well-being

Mindful eating encourages you to slow down, savor your meals, and tune into your body’s true hunger and fullness signals. This can help prevent overeating. The desire to overeat fades away. The cravings for endless sweets diminish, and satisfaction is found in just one piece rather than wishing for a second serving or an entire bag.

Mindful eating isn’t just about food; it’s part of living mindfully. As you focus on how you eat, you begin to realize that it’s not just about food—it’s about living your life the way you’ve always dreamed.

How Can Mindful Eating Help with Emotional Eating?

Emotional eating is a significant hurdle, and the diet world often addresses it with a quick fix—a band-aid approach—by following a plan to lose weight, but it doesn’t tackle the emotional attachment we have to food.

I’m not here to bash meal prepping or planning. In fact, I rely on them in our home, and they help us function wonderfully. But mindful eating stops the problem of overeating or unhealthy habits at the source.

For example, during my vegan days, I had a terrible habit of going to the local coffee shop on my way to work. Coffee was allowed on my diet, but even if I had coffee in my car, I’d still drive through the coffee shop and buy another cup—a total waste of money. Looking back, I realize this habit stemmed from a discontented heart about my career at the time. It was another form of living in an unbalanced way, taking the “drug-laced water” in my small cage.

By practicing mindfulness, you become more aware of your emotional triggers and develop healthier ways of coping. Instead of using food as an emotional crutch, mindful eating helps you process emotions and make more intentional, balanced food choices.

Emotional eating plagues our society today, but very few people admit it. Discovering mindful eating is about confronting the crutches we use—food being one of them—and letting go of the emotional reliance on food. By doing so, we allow our bodies to be restored and balanced.

Can I Still Eat My Favorite Foods with Mindful Eating?

Absolutely! The goal of mindful eating isn’t about eliminating your favorite foods, but rather about living and enjoying life in a balanced way—accomplishing everything you desire: a healthy body, a fulfilling career, spiritual connection, and emotional freedom.

When I started losing weight through mindful eating, my vision wasn’t to give up things like spaghetti and meatballs—it was to enjoy them while still maintaining my health goals. I wanted to be able to savor my favorite foods and feel free to enjoy life without worrying that it would negatively affect my goals the next day.

What you’ll find, however, is that you don’t need as much food as you think. Especially if you’re overweight, it’s normal to feel less hungry as your body adjusts. Leptin, the satiety hormone, is closely tied to the amount of fat storage in your body. So, when you begin practicing mindful eating, you might notice that your body doesn’t crave as much food.

In this stage, it’s important to replace the time you used to spend eating with other activities that help you achieve bigger goals. Weight loss isn’t the ultimate goal—it’s just a milestone. Perhaps you’ll take up learning an instrument, gardening, organizing your home, or even catching up on laundry. It’s about building habits that serve you, rather than hinder you.

How Can I Start Practicing Mindful Eating?

The short answer is: identify your goal self and envision the life you want to live. For me, I want a clean home, a career I’m passionate about working from home, to become an author, and to contribute to my church. When I look at my goal self, I don’t see myself eating four servings of food in one sitting. I don’t see myself snacking on chips or drinking soda. Instead, I see myself enjoying a cup of coffee in the morning, sipping on coconut water, and drinking plenty of regular water.

The first step to practicing mindful eating is to clarify what you want out of life in the long term. From there, start eliminating foods or habits that don’t align with your goals. It’s about choosing foods that nurture you and support your aspirations, rather than dragging you away from them.

For more thoughts on creating mindful habits, check out my blog on habits and my guide to getting started with mindful eating for some practical tips.

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