Wishing you a Non-Diet New Year

As the year draws to a close we’re encouraged to reflect on the past, and to contemplate changes we'd like to make for the year ahead. This time of year is ‘peak-season’ for the diet industry, and we’re exposed to a plethora of messages telling us that the problems in our lives can be solved through weight loss – which is of course a very long way from the truth.

This year we encourage you to break free from diet culture, and to focus on positive and sustainable goals which can contribute to positive well-being. Here are some strategies to consider:

1. Unplug from Negative Influences

Social media has become an integral part of our lives, but its impact on mental well-being is often underestimated. Take a close look at your social media accounts and unfollow any content which triggers negative thoughts or feelings about your body or lifestyle. Instead, curate your feed with accounts that inspire and uplift you, fostering a positive online environment. More puppies and kittens, less wellness influencers!

2. Break Free from Food Rules

‘Food rules’ are beliefs or vales which can dictate when, how, and what we eat. Challenge these rules to embrace a more intuitive approach to eating, paying attention to what you really want to eat (as opposed to what you think you ‘should’ have). Remember that food is not inherently good or bad; it's a source of nourishment and enjoyment. Shift your mindset by using neutral and non-judgemental terms to describe the food you consume.

3. Cultivate Self-Compassion

While we may be adept at showing kindness to others, extending the same compassion to ourselves can be challenging. Building self-compassion is an important step toward fostering resilience and self-care. Even if your thoughts are not yet self-compassionate, take actionable steps to be kind to yourself. Schedule self-care and self-nurturing activities in the day, week and year ahead.

4. Prioritise Quality Sleep

Our sleep patterns impact so many aspects of our lives and have a powerful influence on our physical and mental health and wellbeing. Establishing a good night-time routine can significantly assist your sleep patterns. Create a conducive sleep environment by limiting screen time before bed, maintaining consistent sleep and wake times, eating nourishing foods across the day, and engaging in relaxation or meditation strategies.

5. Engage in Joyful Movement

If incorporating more movement into your routine is a goal, focus on activities you genuinely enjoy. Instead of seeing exercise as a chore or punishment, see it as a celebration of what your body can do. Think about physical activities you’ve enjoyed at different times in your life, and explore all kinds of different forms of movement. Pay attention to how each activity makes your body feel, and let joy be your guide.

Happy New Year, from the team at Mind Body Well

Navigating Diet Talk and Body Image Concerns During the Holiday Season

The holiday season is a time for celebration and relaxation. It's a time to gather with people we care about, and hopefully also a time for some rest. However this can also be a time when diet culture ramps up, creating pressure in the warmer weather to focus on our ‘bikini body’, attending events which are usually centered around food and eating, and the impending wellness focus of New Year's resolutions – all of which can make the holiday period a minefield of diet talk and body image distress.

In this article, we'll explore strategies to help you navigate the challenges of diet talk and body image concerns during the holidays. Different factors such as your environment, relationships, personal history, and comfort levels can influence which strategies are most effective for you – so think about how you can personalise this information for your own circumstances.

Setting Boundaries

Where possible it can be helpful to set some boundaries prior to an event. Depending on your relationship with the people involved and your comfort level, it might be possible to let people know how they can support you – maybe you could communicate these boundaries in person or via text. Some examples could include:

  • ‘I'd appreciate it if we don't talk about 'good' vs. 'bad' foods’

  • ‘It would be really helpful if we could avoid any discussions of weight during the holidays’

  • ‘I really want to have fun with you over New Years, which will be a lot easier for me if we don’t talk about diets’

  • ‘It’s important for my recovery that we don’t talk about ‘working off’ Christmas dinner’

Responding to Body or Diet Talk

Despite setting boundaries, it’s possible that instances of unhelpful diet or body talk could still arise. In these situations, it can be helpful to have some practiced strategies for responding. Here are some ideas:

  • Remove yourself: Remember it's okay to leave the conversation or the situation. Excuse yourself for a bathroom break or step outside for some fresh air

  • Redirect the conversation: Change the topic to something more neutral or comfortable to steer the conversation away from diet talk

  • Express discomfort: Be honest about your feelings, eg. ‘I'm not comfortable with this conversation’

  • Question the body talk: Gently question the person engaging in body talk, eg. ‘I've noticed you make a lot of comments about good and bad foods. For me, this contributed to a really unhealthy relationship with food’

  • Plant Seeds: eg. ‘I've found it helpful to learn more about my relationship with my body, if you're interested, I can send you some podcast or book recommendations’

  • Direct Response: In some cases, you may need to be more direct and assertive, eg. ‘I'm not engaging in diet talk’

Focus on What You Can Control

Despite our best attempts, we have limited control over other people’s body and diet talk, and we may not always feel comfortable or have the capacity to challenge them. In these situations, focus on what you can control:

  • Remind yourself of your personal journey: Tell yourself that you’re on the path to recovery and that it's important to prioritise your wellbeing

  • Practice empathy: If it feels safe, try to empathise with those around you who might be caught up in diet culture, and be dealing with their own food and body image concerns

  • Focus on positives: Concentrate on positive aspects of yourself, list three things you're proud of accomplishing

  • Consider the source: Reflect on the source of comments and ask yourself whether it's helpful to place much value on their perspective

  • Use mindfulness techniques: To let go of unhelpful thoughts, such as mentally saying, ‘I'm having the thought that...’

  • Practice self-compassion: Engage in self-compassionate thoughts and soothing activities after challenging interactions

Ultimately, prioritise your wellbeing, and before you know it the holidays will have passed – hopefully without too much stress or challenge along the way. Be sure to schedule in some of your favourite activities, and spend time with the people who you know are good for your spirits.

Body Image Concerns or Body Dysmorphic Disorder?

Feeling dissatisfied about our bodies is unfortunately an all-too-common concern. The way we perceive and relate to our bodies can be influenced by a multitude of factors including cultural and relational influences, the communities we’re part of and messages surrounding us, and our own physical and mental health concerns.

The term ‘body image’ was first used by psychoanalyst Paul Schilder in his 1935 book ‘The Image and Appearance of the Human Body’. Schilder described body image as “the picture of our body which we form in our mind”. We use the term body image today in a very similar way – to describe the perception a person has of their own body.

But what does it mean when someone’s perception of their body doesn’t match how other people see them - beyond self-criticism, a more distorted view of their body? This might reflect body dysmorphia, which describes a significance misperception of our body image. This can be a very common cognitive symptom of an eating disorder, and it can also occur for some people who have no other eating disorder symptoms, as an stand-alone experience.

This significantly distorted body image can reflect symptoms of Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), which is it’s own unique mental health condition, separate to an eating disorder. While eating disorders usually involve concerns about weight or shape, people with BDD typically focus upon specific body parts which they perceive as ‘flawed’.

Given body image issues, body dysmorphia and BDD can be common among people with eating disorders, how do we tell them apart?

Common symptoms of Body Dysmorphic Disorder include:

  • Obsessive thoughts about a specific body part or feature, e.g. stomach, nose, skin, genitals

  • Repetitive behaviours to try to fix, change or hide the body part, e.g. mirror checking, covering up with make up or clothing, asking for reassurance, comparing to others

  • Feelings of extreme shame, embarrassment or anxiety about the body part, even if other people provide reassurance or don’t see the ‘flaw’

  • Avoiding social situations or other important aspects of life due to these concerns

  • Seeing yourself very differently to how others perceive you, with appearance being a major aspect of self-appraisal and self-worth

A specific subtype of BDD is muscle dysmorphia, which describes a preoccupation with muscularity and body size. Muscle dysmorphia can involve specific behaviours such as obsessive exercise, extreme dieting, preoccupation with protein intake, and substance or steroid use with the intention of increasing muscle mass.

Like eating disorders, Body Dysmorphic Disorder is a serious psychological disorder which requires focused treatment. The team of Psychologists and Dietitians at Mind Body Well are trained and experienced in assisting people with BDD.

Are you a HEALTH PROFESSIONAL working i this space? Check out our upcoming Professional Development workshop: Implementing CBT for Body Dysmorphic Disorder.

Understanding Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)

In the eating disorder field there is one particular disorder which is often overlooked: Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID).

What is ARFID?

ARFID is a complex eating disorder which can affect people of all ages. It’s characterised by restriction, avoidance, or extreme aversion to certain foods and/or food textures. It’s important to understand that ARFID is not just ‘picky eating’, and it is not simply a dietary choice, but instead is a condition which can significantly impact a persons nutritional adequacy.

Unlike other eating disorders, ARFID does not commonly arise from body image issues, but is instead based in anxiety and/or sensory processing issues. This is not to say that those experiencing ARFID won’t experience body image concerns or other eating disorders – but rather that body image concerns are not the primary driver of ARFID-based food avoidance/restriction.

Understanding the Impact of ARFID

ARFID can significantly impact a persons daily life, limiting their social interactions and causing emotional distress. Given so many of our interactions with friends, family members, and in the workplace centre around food, it’s easy to understand why food based anxiety can cause distress for people with ARFID, and may cause people to avoid or withdraw from social experiences, contributing to significant social isolation.

People with ARFID may also have difficulty consuming an adequate variety or quantity of food, potentially causing nutritional deficiencies and impaired physical and mental health.

It is essential to recognise that ARFID is not a choice but is a genuine health condition which requires empathy, understanding, and support toward change.

Support and Awareness for ARFID

Raising awareness about ARFID is crucial to foster understanding and support for those affected. Education is the first step in reducing the stigma and misconceptions surrounding this disorder. By promoting compassionate dialogue, we can create a safe environment where people with ARFID feel empowered to seek help and receive the support they need.

Support at Mind Body Well for someone experiencing ARFID can take many forms, including:

  • Validating lived experience: Listening to and acknowledging the challenges faced by people with ARFID

  • Nutritional exploration: Identifying barriers to meeting nutritional needs with accepted foods and considering supplements to bridge nutritional gaps

  • Sensory understanding: Learning about the influence of sensory profiles on eating behaviours

  • Strategies for behaviour change: Exploring strategies to support eating, such as sensory support during meals or when grocery shopping, and gradually introducing novel foods

  • Client-centered exposure: Guiding people through exposure to unfamiliar foods in a supportive environment

  • Navigating social situations: Providing strategies for managing social eating scenarios

  • Harm reduction: Offering strategies to reduce harm while working towards expanding nutritional adequacy and variety

ARFID is an important health issue which requires attention and understanding. By increasing awareness about this lesser-known eating disorder, we can provide a supportive network for people affected by ARFID.

Challenging Stereotypes: Masculinity and Eating Disorders

For far too long, eating disorders have been stereotypically associated with women, most commonly young women. However, the truth is that eating disorders do not discriminate based on gender, size, sexual orientation, cultural background, age, or ability. Men, too, grapple with these complex mental health conditions, and it's time to break the stigma surrounding men and eating disorders. In this article, we shed light on the prevalence of eating disorders among men, the unique challenges they face, and how we can challenge societal norms to support those in need.

Eating Disorders in Men: The Numbers Speak

Recent statistics from Australia's Butterfly Foundation revealed a significant presence of eating disorders among men. It is estimated that over one-third of eating disorder presentations are seen among men, with 360,131 Australian men living with an eating disorder (Butterfly, 2019).

According to the National Eating Disorders Collaboration, it is estimated that men account for:

  • 20% of people in Australia who experience Anorexia Nervosa

  • 30% of people in Australia who experience Bulimia Nervosa

  • 43% of people in Australia who experience Binge Eating Disorder

  • 55-77% of people in Australia who experience Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder (OSFED)

  • 67% of people in Australia who experience Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)

Heightened Risk Among Certain Groups

Certain groups of men face a higher risk of developing eating disorders. This includes queer men, transmen, gender diverse groups, and men involved in fields that promote specific body ideals or physiques, such as athletes, bodybuilders, and actors.

Unique Presentations in Men

Eating disorder presentations among men may differ from those commonly associated with women, or they may also be very similar. Men may focus on low body fat and high muscularity as well as weight. They might also be more concerned with high protein foods and counting macros, as well as engaging in excessive or compulsive exercise with an emphasis on muscle appearance. Concepts like ‘bulking’ and ‘shredding’ and the use of supplements and performance-enhancing drugs can also be prevalent.

The Impact of Stigma

Unfortunately, eating disorders among men are often underreported due to the stigma surrounding these conditions. The stigma can lead to a lack of awareness of symptoms, misdiagnosis, delayed diagnosis, difficulty accessing appropriate treatments, and a feeling of exclusion from available treatments.

Cultural Expectations and Norms

Cultural expectations and ideals surrounding body size and appearance can play a significant role in the development of eating disorders among all genders, including men. Society's narrow definition of masculinity, characterised by being muscular, strong, stoic, and independent, contributes to the pressure men face to conform to unrealistic body ideals. ‘Diet culture’ preys on this by promoting fasting, high protein products, and ‘biohacking’ – all of which contribute to the normalisation of disordered eating behaviours and a focus on gaining muscle.

Challenging Stereotypes: Redefining Masculinity

To address the stigma and promote a healthier understanding of masculinity, it’s important that we challenge existing stereotypes and societal norms. Here are some prompts to think differently:

  1. Question the origins of the narrow definition of masculinity, and how this impacts the lives of men and masc folk

  2. Develop media literacy skills to recognise how masculinity is portrayed

  3. Notice how diet culture products are marketed toward men and women

  4. Learn about the gendered and socialised nature of emotions

  5. Explore and redefine masculinities, encouraging a broader and more inclusive sense of identity

Seeking Help: An Act of Courage

Remember that all people are worthy of support, and seeking treatment is a brave and essential step for anyone struggling with an eating disorder, regardless of gender. At Mind Body Well, our team of Psychologists and Dietitians is here to support you on your journey to a healthier relationship with food, exercise, your body, and identity. We welcome people of all genders, ages, sexual orientations, and cultural backgrounds.

Understanding and Challenging Food Rules

Understanding and Challenging Food Rules

What are ‘food rules?’

‘Food rules’ are a set of guidelines which we have absorbed from a variety of sources – including diet culture, families and communities, and social media. These rules can dictate the foods we eat, the feelings that emerge when we think about certain foods, and how we end up feeling about ourselves and our body, sometimes for even just thinking about food. Food rules can get in the way of us obtaining essential nutrients and adequately nourishing our body.

These food rules can appear as negative or critical internal self-talk, external voices or the opinions of others - or both. In short, food rules can have a big negative impact on our lives.

Libido and Eating Disorders

Libido and Eating Disorders

What is Libido?

Libido (a.k.a ‘sex drive’) refers to our desire for sex. A complex combination of mind, body and relationship factors, Libido varies from person to person across a very wide spectrum, and even varies for the same person at different times and in response to different life circumstances. Libido can be effected by many factors including age, lifestyle, mental & physical health conditions, and medications.

International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia and Transphobia

The International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia, and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) is celebrated on May 17th each year. BegiNning in 1990, the date was chosen to mark the removal of homosexuality as a disorder from the World Health Organisations ‘Classification of diseases and related problems’.

According to the IDAHOBIT website, the day has two main purposes:

  1. To celebrate the pride and allyship of the people who work to build equality around the world, and

  2. To raise awareness of the discrimination LGBTQIA+ people continue to face today

LGBTIQA+ people experience higher rates of mental health challenges than the general population. The Private Lives 3 report found a greater prevalence of psychological distress, anxiety, and depression among all groups within the Australian LGBTIQA+ community, with transgender and bisexual+ people particularly at risk.

What causes this higher prevalence of psychological distress?

LGBTIQA+ people are more likely to experience prejudice and discrimination than the general population. Over time repeated exposure to negative attitudes and distressing situations can start to affect the physical and mental health of minority groups – a process known as minority stress. Minority stress can make it harder to engage in health promoting behaviours and can lead to increased drinking, drug use, and attempts to control eating or body weight/shape as coping strategies.

A growing body of research points to higher rates of disordered eating and eating disorders among the LGBTIQA+ community, particularly trans and gender diverse people. While there are many common eating disorder risk factors minority stress certainly plays a part as well as the pressure that some LGBTIQA+ people feel to fit in with rigid body standards and gender norms to feel accepted and avoid discrimination. 

Discrimination can sometimes occur when people are attempting to access healthcare services, and this can lead to LGBTIQA+ people being reluctant about reaching out for help. At Mind Body Well we are committed to providing safe and accessible healthcare to people from LGBTIQA+ communities.

We also recommend the following services for LGBTIQA+ Victorians seeking additional support for mental health concerns:

  • QLife - provides free daily peer support from trained members of the LGBTIQA+ community Australia wide via anonymous phone and webchat

  • Rainbow Door - a free helpline providing information, support, and referrals for LGBTIQA+ Victorians

  • Eating Disorders Victoria BLOOM support group - BLOOM is a fortnightly group run by Eating Disorders Victoria for LGBTIQA+ people with eating disorders

More information about IDAHOBIT can be found on the IDAHOBIT website.

 
 

International No-Diet Day 2023

May 6th is International No-Diet Day (INDD) – an important occasion to reflect on the potential harms caused by weight loss dieting. INDD was initiated by feminist groups in the UK in 1992 led by Mary Evans Young, and the day provides a reminder for us all to:

  • Challenge cultural ideals about body shape and size

  • Raise awareness about weight discrimination and fat phobia

  • Challenge diet culture and companies who profit from encouraging body dissatisfaction

  • Focus on body freedom and liberation for everyone

As we consider INDD this year, we’re reflecting on the bigger picture - the context in which diet culture (the pervasiveness of dieting norms and the perceived value of weight loss dieting) manifests in our society. It’s clear to us from the anecdotal evidence of so many clients we have worked with over the years (and this is backed up in the science) that weight loss dieting causes significant harm to many people – here’s a summary of just some of the ways weight loss dieting can cause harm:

  • Weight loss dieting is a significant risk factor for the development of an eating disorder

  • Weight loss dieting can compromise nutritional adequacy and have multiple adverse health effects

  • Weight loss dieting can be socially isolating – causing people to exclude themselves from social occasions

  • Weight loss dieting exacerbates body dissatisfaction and distress, which has a cause-and-effect relationship with poor mental health outcomes such as depression and anxiety

  • Weight loss dieting teaches us to be at war with and to disconnect from our bodies - which has multiple adverse physical and psychological implications

  • Weight loss dieting perpetuates weight stigma and weight bias

  • Weight loss dieting has significant financial costs *

We also know however that weight loss dieting is a strategy used by many people in an attempt to feel some control in an area of their lives which can otherwise feel overwhelming, distressing, and downright confusing – given the many conflicting messages we’re exposed to about diet and nutrition every day. It’s not enough to simply suggest that people ‘stop dieting’ – what most people need is an alternative. To borrow a phrase from one of the pioneers in the non-diet field in Australia Dr Rick Kausman… ‘If Not Dieting, Then What?’ (which is the title of Ricks book first published in 2004). We need alternatives which recognise the reality of body diversity, and which focus on wellbeing rather than weight loss.

If we zoom out to the broader cultural context in which weight loss dieting exists (and is considered the norm), we see that diet culture thrives in a context of weight stigma, weight bias, and a focus on weight-normativity. Here’s a breakdown of these concepts:

  • Weight bias – negative assumptions and judgements about people in larger bodies

  • Weight stigma – social devaluation and discrimination based on weight and shape

  • Weight-normativity - emphasises weight and weight loss as central to defining health and wellbeing (ie. Assumes health based on weight)

  • Weight-inclusivity – emphasises health and wellbeing as multifaceted and related to many aspects of a persons life (ie. Recognises social, emotional, physical and spiritual aspects, the importance of the whole person and the context in which they live)

It’s not enough to merely recommend to someone that they stop dieting… when we live in a weight-normative culture which tells us that thinner is better, and that we’re ‘wrong’ for existing in bodies which are anything other than the cultural ideal. Assumptions about weight and size need to be continually challenged and addressed, recognising that for many people, weight loss dieting makes sense as a response to the culture they exist within. It’s not enough to put the pressure on someone to change – it’s the culture that needs to change, to make it safe for people to exist in a diverse range of bodies, and to be valued and treated with respect without any expectation of a need to shrink their body in order to be OK.

Zooming back in again to the individual level, we’d offer the following suggestions for some potential alternatives to weight loss dieting. These are just suggestions though, think about what works for you, and how you can ‘opt-out’ of diet culture… even if just for today:

  • Focus on taking care of your body, nourishing and nurturing it in ways that feel good for you. Go for a walk in nature, lay under a tree, have a long bath…

  • Explore your relationship with food, try to understand all the different motivations you have for eating, and bring self-compassionate awareness to those motivations

  • Eat for both pleasure and nourishment – consider the importance of nourishing yourself both physically and emotionally in many different ways

  • Celebrate and enjoy a wide range and variety of foods – allow yourself to really dive into the sensory pleasure which comes from fully experiencing food

  • Spend time with people who value and recognise you for who you are, seek out communities in which you feel safe

  • Expose yourself to diverse messages about bodies – do a social media audit and be ready to unfollow any accounts which perpetuate the ‘thin is best’ ideal, especially those which suggest there is any right’or wrong way of eating

  • If this is a particularly tricky issue for you seek out a Psychologist, Dietitian, or other health professional who can assist you to untangle and address the ways weight stigma and weight bias effects you, and who can help you explore alternatives to diet culture

Very importantly… recognise messages of weight bias and stigma that occur around you and chose not to perpetuate them… opt out. If you have the energy to challenge, then by all means do so - be a social justice campaigner and advocate for respect and inclusion for all people, regardless of the body they show up in.

All bodies are worthy of care and respect.

 

(* The global weight loss and weight management market value in 2021 was USD $224 billion USD, and by 2030 is predicted to be $405 billion USD (Source – Global News Wire February 9, 2023). This ‘market value’ is being paid for by the people who are driven by body dissatisfaction and distress to purchase products and methods they’re sold under the guise they will make them thinner, and happier. And this is just referring to the direct costs associated with dieting. It’s impossible to put a price on the costs of poor nutrition caused by restrictive eating, eating disorders triggered or exacerbated by the pursuit of thinness and body dissatisfaction which the diet industry profits from, and other mental health challenges exacerbated by weight stigma and weight bias.)

 

Related past articles:

About Mindful Eating

January is World Mindful Eating Month. So what’s ‘Mindful Eating’ all about?

What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to the present moment in a non-judgemental, accepting and self-compassionate way. Mindfulness is not just about our thoughts, it also includes embodied awareness – experiencing our body from the inside out. We can do this by focusing on the information the body sends to the mind through the senses – what we see, hear, feel, smell and taste. In the context of eating, this can mean being aware of how we’re feeling before, during and after a meal. This includes how our body feels physically, as well as the thoughts and feelings we’re experiencing about eating.

Why eat mindfully?

Mindful eating is an approach which is often recommended to help us be more engaged in the process of eating. It’s also a way to pay more attention to our bodies signals of hunger and fullness, and to assist with appetite regulation – the ability to know what the body is telling us about the need for food, or when it’s had enough.

It is important to note however that it’s not inherently ‘better’ to eat mindfully - it’s perfectly natural to also have times when we eat with less mindfulness – like while watching television or at the computer. This less mindful eating though is more likely to cause a sense of disconnection from the experience of eating, and to confuse our hunger and fullness signals, also resulting in less pleasure or satisfaction from our food – which may cause us to keep seeking more.

Mindful eating and Diet Culture

Unfortunately Mindful Eating is yet another of the potentially helpful strategies which has been co-opted by the diet industry as a method of food restriction and impulse control. It is important to keep in mind the central premises of self-compassion and non-judgement which mindfulness is based on – and not to let this become yet another way to moralise and punish ourselves for what and how we’re eating.

When we can bring that spirit of self-compassion to mindful eating, it can be a way to enhance our connection with our body and our relationship with food, to build intuitive eating skills, and to allow ourselves more joy and freedom with eating.

How do I eat mindfully?

If you’ve never practiced mindfulness before, try starting with a general introduction – i.e. learn mindfulness skills in other (less ‘loaded’) areas first, then practice transferring those skills to eating. You can gradually learn to be more mindful by regularly bringing awareness to your breath, to the sensations in your body or the things happening around you. If you’re in therapy, you could ask your therapist for strategies, or experiment with some of the great app’s which teach mindfulness practices (we like Calm, Smiling Mind, and Headpsace).

Once you’ve become familiar with the practice of mindfulness, you can begin to transfer this awareness to eating - try sitting down to eat with no distractions, and bring non-judemtnal awareness to the experience of eating. Pay attention to the sight and aroma of the food. As you eat, pay attention to taste and texture. Chew slowly and notice how these change over time, notice how the taste changes as you eat. Notice if you feel a change in your hunger and fullness cues as you eat. Keep coming back to self-compassion and non-judement as you do this, and start slowly – maybe just for the first few bites of your meal, and begin with foods that feel more comfortable and less threatening for you.

When Mindful Eating is difficult

If you’re experiencing an eating disorder, working on mindful eating might not be appropriate for you right now. Sometimes paying too much attention to the experience of eating can be unhelpful – especially for those who may already be obsessing about eating, and feeling really uncomfortable in their bodies when they eat. In this case you may need to rely on some deliberate distraction rather than mindfulness – use strategies such as reading, music, games or conversation to enable you to eat without increasing anxiety may be more appropriate for now. Like all strategies, mindful eating isn’t a panacea, and isn’t the only tool in the eating disorder recovery toolkit. If you’re not sure whether mindful eating is appropriate for you, discuss this with your therapist, and ask them for alternatives, or practice working toward mindful eating over time.

Would you like to learn more? Enrol in our upcoming Mindful Embodiment online program.