Practicing Mindfulness through Food (Holiday Edition)

This holiday season we present to you ways in which to practice mindfulness while eating, as we all know, holiday season = lots and lots of eating! Along with all the fun and excitement that comes with the holiday season, so does stress and increased stress levels can sometimes lead to more eating, oftentimes unhealthy eating. According to the Center for Mindful Eating, the principles of Mindful Eating include: "Our relationship to food is a central one that reflects our attitudes toward our environment and ourselves. As a practice, mindful eating can bring us awareness of our own actions, thoughts, feelings and motivations, and insight into the roots of health and contentment." With the following tools you can utilize mindfulness techniques while eating! 

Mindfulness eating engages all the senses: looking, smelling, tasting, touching and yes, even listening to our food.

With each bite notice: the way it looks, how it smells, the texture of the food, and finally the taste - go beyond and see how you are feeling with each bite and what you feel as you swallow your food, listen to your body slowly working for your nourishment. You may even hear the texture of your food.

Eat slowly and savor the food, pay attention to it: enjoy each bite, put your fork/spoon down in between bites, take a drink between the bites. Giving your body time to communicate with your brain when you feel full.

And finally, control your portions and eat when you are hungry. If you listen to your body, your needs will be communicated, the idea of mindfulness is to be present in the moment and aware. 

We leave you with a couple of activities you can do in your home (or when visiting friends and family this holiday season), these activities can be done at anytime: 

1) Mindfulness Eating Exercise

2) Mindfulness Eating with children (this activity can be used with adults also)

Below are some resources for further reading:
http://www.thecenterformindfuleating.org/

American Heart Association Food Diary 

Mindful Eating: 5 Easy Tips to Get Started

A very Happy Holidays and a very Happy New Year from us to you! 

Relaxation Techniques

Relaxing - it is absolutely necessary, even if we may not seem to think so in our fast paced, fleeting, daily life. Stop. Breathe. Take a moment to yourself. You deserve it. Everyone has their own way of relaxing, and what one may find relaxing another may find not such that. We have complied some tried and true ways of relaxation. Maybe give one of these (or more than one) a try today! 

1) Autogenic Relaxation - "autogenic" = something that comes from within oneself. This technique utilizes both visual imagery and body awareness. One may imagine a peaceful environment, and then focus on different physical sensations, i.e. a calm heartbeat, easy natural breathing, heaviness of each limb, the temperature of each limb, etc. This relaxation technique can lead to a deep state of relaxation. 

2) Progressive Muscle Relaxation - in this particular method of relaxation, one focuses on slowly tensing and relaxing each muscle group. One way in which one can practice this type of relaxation method is by starting by tensing the toes for 5 seconds followed by relaxing them for 30 seconds, and moving up the body all the way to the head with this manner of tensing and relaxing each group. One can also start at the head and move to the toes if that is more preferable. This relaxation method can help one become more aware of tension in the body and just overall physical sensations. 

3) Visualization - during this relaxation technique, one uses mental images to take a visual journey to a peaceful environment. In this technique, one can use as many senses as possible, sight, taste, sound, touch and smell. For example, imagine a beach, smell the air, taste the salt in the air and the water, feel the warmth of the sun and the coolness of the water, hear the sounds of the waves and the seagulls.


4) Breathing - breath deeply, take a 5 minute break and focus on your breathing, place one hand on the belly, and the other on the chest. Eyes closed, take a deep breath, inhaling deeply and feeling the abdomen push against the hand. Hold the breath and slowly exhale, and repeat. This type of deep breathing for a minutes in a day can lower blood pressure and relieve stress. 

5) Guided Imagery - in this technique, one would listen to a guided imagery CD or another individual guide them into a state of deep relaxation. There are many apps, websites and CDs/DVDs out there to utilize for guided imagery. 

Please see the following links for some quick ways to kick start your relaxation! 
Guided Imagery (on youtube)
Guided Imagery (on iTunes)
https://www.calm.com/
www.stresslesstips.org
10 Tips to help you De-stress

Food & Mood

The food that we consume has loads to do with how we feel daily. There is a delicate balance between our food and mood which can easily be swayed in many directions. Today we will present a few ways in which one can manage anxiety with food. Including the following in one's diet may lead to better management of anxiety via food.

1) Vitamin B - eat food rich in vitamin B or take a vitamin B supplement to ward of anxiety, studies have shown a relationship between mood and the B vitamins. Some food that has vitamin B includes meats, chicken, leafy greens, legumes, oranges and other citrus fruits, rice, nuts and eggs. 

2) Tryptophan - tryptophan is a precursor to the neurotransmitter serotonin, which helps you feel calm. That tired feeling one gets after eating turkey on Thanksgiving - comes from the tryptophan in turkey. Tryptophan in the form of meat has been shown to reduce anxiety disorder. Some food that includes tyrptophan are turkey, chicken, banana, milk, oats, cheese, soy, nuts, peanut butter and sesame seeds. 

3) Carbohydrates - carbs also increase the production of serotonin in the brain. Go for whole grains for brain healthy options, such as whole wheat bread, brown rice and whole grains. Opting for the processed grain alternative can lead to one feeling lethargic due to the sharp increase in energy due to the insulin rush followed by a quick decline. 

4) Omega-3 fatty acids - there is some evidence that indicates omega-3 fatty acids can be uplifting and improve moods. Some food that has omega-3 fatty acids include salmon, sardines, mussels, anchovies, tuna, lake trout, herring, and mackerel. In addition, omega-3 fatty acids may reduce risk of heart disease. 

5) Protein - protein helps stimulate other neurotransmitters (norepinephrine and dopamine) both of which have shown to improve alertness and mental energy. Some food that has protein include Greek yogurt, fish, meat, cheese, eggs, nuts, beans, soy and lentils. 

6) Potassium - potassium naturally helps lower blood sugar and is great for brain health and anxiety. Food that has potassium includes avocados, sweet potatoes, bananas, clams, winter squash, milk, soybeans and orange juice. 

7) Magnesium - magnesium helps with over 300 enzyme systems in the body which regulate diverse biochemical reactions. In addition, it aids in blood glucose and blood pressure regulation, all of these factors make this mineral a very important one in managing mood. Some food which have magnesium includes Swiss chard, spinach, leafy greens, almonds, peas, broccoli, flax-seed, tofu, cashews and bananas. 

8) Curcuminoids - curcuminoids are antioxidants found in turmeric which have been found to enhance mood and have a neuroprotective factor. One can cook with turmeric as an added spice in their dishes. In addition, one can take a curcumin supplement.

9) Dark Chocolate -  dark chocolate may lower levels of stress hormones; cocoa has been found to be rich in a class of antioxidants called flavonoids which have been linked to a number of health benefits. A small piece of dark chocolate is not only satisfying but also beneficial! 

10) Tea - several teas have natural calming effects on the body. Chamomile tea for instance has shown to significantly decrease anxiety symptoms in just a few weeks. Green tea has an amino acid L-theanin which has been shown to curb a rising heart rate and blood pressure, which in turn can lead to a calming effect. Rooibos tea also known as the red bush tea has many great properties including zinc, copper, magnesium, calcium and potassium, all of these have been shown to reduce anxiety and aid in managing overall mind and body health.