Mindfulness lifestyles have been promoted across the globe as a way of reducing stress and anxiety. But now 'eating mindfully' is being promoted as a way of losing weight.
You might be doing everything else right - eating your fruit and veg, steering clear of refined carbs and saturated fats. But scientists claim the way you eat your meals could be just as important as what's in them.
Researchers from Bristol University have linked faster eating rates to higher BMIs in both adults and children. And diet guru Dr Michael Mosley linked 'thoughtless' eating to increased snack cravings. He urged dieters to slow down when they are eating.
READ MORE: Dr Michael Mosley reveals three fruits that slow down weight loss
When sharing five tips to help halt 'excessive hunger' eating mindfully and spending longer chewing each mouthful were key solutions.
Juls Abernethy, co-founder of the Body Retreat - a health and wellbeing retreat that focuses on 'conscious eating' for weight loss and stress management - told the Telegraph eating speed can sabotage weight loss, as it affects the production of leptin.
This is the hormone that communicates a feeling of fullness to your brain.
Nichola Ludlam-Raine, a dietitian and British Dietetic Association (BDA) spokesman told the Telegraph that if you feel uncomfortably full shortly after eating, suffer from bloating or excess wind, or want more after finishing a decent meal, you probably need to slow down. The magic number for doing that is 20.
“For those who’ve had bariatric surgery, we use the 20:20:20:20 rule: a 20 pence-sized piece of food, chew it 20 times, put your knife and fork down for 20 seconds between mouthfuls, and take 20 minutes to eat the meal,” she said.
“Obviously, if you haven’t had weight-loss surgery, you can eat bigger mouthfuls, but you should still take 20 minutes over a meal and aim to chew each mouthful more.”
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