Avera Medical Minute: Mindful Eating - KSFY News - Sioux Falls, SD News, Weather, Sports

Avera Medical Minute: Mindful Eating

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Mindful eating is being aware of what and how much you are eating. Mindful eating is being aware of what and how much you are eating.

May 17th at 10:00am Avera McKennan is kicking off a 12 week community wide Weight Loss Challenge. It's designed to help you lose weight, eat right and adopt an active, vibrant lifestyle. Part of the process has to include mindful eating.

Mindful eating is having an awareness of the food choices we make and how much we are putting in to our bodies. Mary Ellen Smith, an Outpatient Therapist at Avera McKennan Outpatient Behavioral Health says once we become aware of what, when and how fast we are eating you will start to notice a difference.

Mary Ellen says, "In contrast to that is mindless eating. A person is almost in a food coma, if you will, going through the motions of eating often time unaware they are even eating something or consumed the calories. Later comes the awareness that oh I've just consumed all this food."

Let's face it,  all of us are probably guilty of sitting at our computer at work or at home in front of the TV popping peanut after peanut in our mouth unaware of how many we've eaten. Instead,  Therapist Mary Ellen Smith says make a plan of what you are going to eat each day and commit to it. You can also write down what you've taken in in a daily food diary. When you see it in black and white it becomes brutally clear if you need to make some changes.

Mary Ellen says, "It's really process of slowing down."

One school of thought is to put your fork down between each bite but it all comes down to being conscious of what you're doing.

Mary Ellen says, "It's part of the whole change in lifestyle package. It's not just about losing weight and getting the numbers to do down, but it's about making significant changes in a variety of areas of our life so we can be the best person we can be, the healthiest person we can be."

And really there is no better way to be.

Click to register your team.


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