Collin County Living Well Magazine May/June 2020 | Page 39

Mindful Eating vs. Intuitive Eating I’ve written before on mindful eating, which is, among other things, paying attention to what you’re eating and the ex- perience of that moment without judgment. Also, it’s good practice if you’re a multitasker because you have to stop doing everything and enjoy your eating moment. It helps you develop better habits and opens your senses when choosing food. You will see now that it gets a bit confusing because it overlaps with intuitive eating. Let’s see. While intuitive eating includes some of the characteristics of being mindful, it’s more complete. You learn how to stop having the diet mentality, manage your emotions with be- ing kind to yourself, and accept and respect your body as is. You’ll also develop the habit of being more active in terms of adding some form of exercise such as walking, etc. It also helps you become aware of your body in terms of hunger versus satiety; become aware of your thoughts at that moment helping the emotional versus physical com- ponent (mindful), while helping you to develop freedom around food. It’s not a tool to lose weight, but if you practice the concepts that are involved, you may lose weight. If you eat only when you’re hungry and not because of an emotion that was developed by a thought, you won’t overeat because you’ll be more at- tuned with yourself. I will talk a bit more about overeating in another article. Remember to always consult your physician before trying anything new related to your health. “Fall in love with taking care of your body.” ~Unknown Julie Alvira, M.D., MBA Healthcare Management, is the founder of Coach Dr. Julie, LLC – Physician Life and Weight Loss Coaching Services. You can find her on Facebook as Coach Dr. Julie or via email at [email protected] www.coachdrjulie.com COLLIN COUNTY Living Well Magazine | MAY/JUNE 2020 37