Mindfulness for managing hunger, intake and weight

We live in a culture where food is plentiful, hyperpalatable and available around the clock, which can contribute to mindless overconsumption.

Eating to satiate hunger is one reason that drives us to eat, but not the primary one. Most people eat before hunger strikes and eat out of habit. Environmental factors – the sight of food, social events with a variety of choices or office meetings where snacks are provided – can influence food intake in the absence of hunger. We eat because food is there, and our ability to estimate intake is poor.

Other influences include commercials urging us to raid the fridge or order delivery, or a co-worker offering to get treats to go with coffee. No matter the trigger, we eat for many reasons other than hunger.

Over the past 25 years, strategies have emerged to bring attention to the reasons we eat. They include mindfulness, mindful eating and intuitive eating.

Researchers Janet M. Warren, Nicola Smith and Margaret Ashwell completed a structured literature review of the effectiveness of these plans of action for modulating eating habits. They compiled definitions of the strategies: • Mindfulness: Observing the overall experience using an open and nonjudgmental stance • Mindful eating: Making conscious food choices, being aware of physical versus psychological hunger and staying conscious of satiety cues; being present in the moment while eating, enjoying the senses triggered by the food • Intuitive eating: Sometimes used interchangeably with mindful eating, developed by two registered dietitians in 1995 who described aspects of intuitive eating: a rejection of diets, not labeling foods as good or bad, honoring hunger and fullness and encouraging satisfaction with food intake. Intuitive eating does not use meditation during the practice.

Warren, Smith and Ashwell found that mindfulness and mindful eating showed a positive effect on reducing binge eating, emotional eating, external triggered (mindless) eating and other maladaptive habits by bringing awareness to the internal state before making food choices.

Their findings were mixed regarding whether mindfulness or mindful eating assisted with weight reduction, but one could assume that if intake is less, weight loss might be a result.

Looking at the act of chewing, researchers have probed the effect of chewing rate on intake, and report a positive association with chewing rate, meal duration and BMI (body mass index), meaning the faster one eats, the more one can eat in a shorter time, and thus the more likely a person is to have a higher weight.

One study found that chewing almonds 40 times versus 15 increased satiety for an additional 30 minutes from baseline. Another study found that by decreasing the bite size, requiring more chewing with more bites, also decreased intake. One study had individuals “sham eat” (spit the food out after chewing it) and this also showed decreased intake. Therefore, prolonged chewing or oral exposure was shown to decrease intake, improve satiety and might assist with weight loss. The decreased intake could be a result of the altering gut hormones that influence intake.

When Miquel-Kergoat and her team reviewed studies observing prolonged chewing on gut hormones, increased chewing from 15 to 40 times suppressed ghrelin, the hunger hormone, and increased cholecystokinin (CCK) and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) – satiety hormones – influencing lower intake at the current meal and the next.

The environment bombards individuals with triggers to eat, and many foods and beverages can be consumed quickly without awareness of the amount consumed. Managing weight is not only choosing what and when to eat, but how to eat.

Here are some suggestions to apply the study findings to improve digestion, meal satisfaction, fullness and potential weight loss: • Intuitive eating: Eat when hungry, pay attention to your body’s physiological signals of hunger and stop when feeling satisfied. • Mindfulness: Be attentive to the experience of eating, the company and the environment without judgment. Be present. • Mindful eating: Focus on every aspect of eating – the appearance, smell, taste, texture – and notice changes as food is chewed. Enjoy the process.

•Make meals last longer:

Slow down, take smaller bites and breathe through the nose between bites. This turns on the parasympathetic nervous system – the rest and digestion system – improving digestion and absorption, while reducing gas and bloating.

•Chew thoroughly and slowly:

Chewing more decreases intake and improves satiety, which might influence weight loss.

Sandie Lynch is a registered dietitian, fitness trainer, wellness and lifestyle medicine professional coach, and owner of ATP Wellbeing Consultants LLC. Attain Top Performance (ATP) in Life with health, fitness and spiritual connection. Contact her for a free 60-minute consultation at sandieatpcoaching@gmail.com or 240-439-9927.