We’ve all got a lot going on at home at the moment. Cooking and eating can sometimes feel like just another chore to get out of the way and to tick off our To-do list.
Unexpected events, stress, mixed emotions and fatigue can leave us feeling overwhelmed and make every-day activities feel like hard work. Eating is one activity that you can’t stop doing whatever else is going on around you. It is very easy to start snacking on something mindlessly and before we realise it the whole packet is gone.
What you can try to do, is to make small, simple changes to help make meal times more enjoyable and relaxing. Look for ways of improving the type of food you eat. You can also think about when and where it’s eaten, who you eat with and meal time settings and perhaps make some alterations.
Ideas to help take the stress out of cooking and meal times include:
Despite the challenges we face, making a couple of small changes can give you a real boost. If you can cook and eat in a calm and relaxed way you will be practicing mindfulness without even thinking about it.
You can find some great Jamie Oliver recipes to try here: https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/category/books/keep-cooking-and-carry-on/
Val Hutson
Healthy Lifestyles Nutritionist
Biography
After graduating with a First Class BSc Hons Degree in Nutrition and Health, Val joined Blackpool Council’s Public Health Team as a Healthy Lifestyles Nutritionist. Val enjoys her role working with food outlets, catering teams and schools across Blackpool, encouraging them to adopt healthier cooking practices and promote healthier choices. Val is a Registered Nutritionist with the Association for Nutrition and is accredited to deliver community based cooking sessions as part of Jamie Oliver’s Ministry of Food Cooking Programme.
References:
Wnuk S., Du C. (2017) Mindful Eating for Severe Obesity. In: Sockalingam S., Hawa R. (eds) Psychiatric Care in Severe Obesity. Springer, Cham
Kristeller J.L., Lieberstein A.E. (2016) Teaching Individuals Mindful Eating. In: McCown D., Reibel D., Micozzi M. (eds) Resources for Teaching Mindfulness. Springer, Cham
Zhu Y, Hollis JH. R (2015) Relationship between chewing behavior and body weight status in fully dentate healthy adults. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition. 66(2)135-139
British Dietetic Association May 2020
https://freelancedietitians.org/dietitian-blog-posts/why-you-should-eat-slowly/
Jamie Oliver Website:May 2020
https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/category/books/keep-cooking-and-carry-on/
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