So, how do you get started with mindful eating? Well, here are my six top tips for incorporating mindful eating into your daily life:

1. Have a list - by preparing in advance what we need, this will help stop any impulse purchases at the shop. We know what we need and what we are looking for, so armed with our shopping list we can stick to this. Being aware of the food choices we are making and what we are bringing home is an excellent start to the process. This also ensures that what we reach for at home is what we want to eat.

2. Avoid extreme hunger - It's good to be hungry when sitting down to eat a meal, but not so much so that we're compelled to make the wrong choices as we're in a massive hurry and feeling famished. Being ravenously hungry and going past the point of when we should have eaten may make us panic and reach for foods that we wouldn't normally go for purely out of convenience.

3. Make a conscious decision to eat - by planning our meals in advance this allows us to know when we are eating and what we will be eating. This helps us avoid the pitfall of ravenous hunger, but also helps us avoid absent-mindedly picking as we don't know what to eat. Particularly at this time of year, you might like to indulge in festive treats, by making a conscious decision to do so, this will allow you to determine how much and what you have.

4. Take time to appreciate your food - start with a small pause to smell and admire the food are eating. Hey, you or someone else has gone to some effort to provide this for you! The digestive process starts in the brain, so taking some time to smell, see and acknowledge your meal can also help improve digestion, as well as allowing you to enjoy the process.

5. Take your time over eating your food - I grew up in a house where it was always a race to see who could finish dinner first and get down from the table. This is not what we should be doing! By eating more slowly and chewing thoroughly we help get the digestive processes working effectively, but we also allow the brain to sense when our bodies are full. And you get a chance to savour the foods as you eat them.

6. Eat without distractions - turn off the telly, shut the laptop, sit down at the table. By eating with no external distractions, we can turn our full attention to what we are eating - which, in turn, allows us to be more in tune with our bodies, appetites and sense of fullness. 
 

As well as providing nutrients and energy, food should be a source of fun and enjoyment. And this is particularly true as we approach the festive season. Sharing food with our families is such an integral part of this time of year and we should take the time to enjoy it guilt-free.

By following these six simple steps hopefully we can taken some of the absent-minded eating away, leaving us with the foods we have consciously chosen, eaten in a way that enables us to enjoy them, and thereby we can thoroughly appreciate our celebrations.

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

This is a real family favourite, and one we come back to time and again. It's largely made from store cupboard items and common veg that I usually have in the fridge.  This is also a good recipe to make if you have veggie or vegan friends popping over, or to add in to your repertoire if you are thinking of trying out Veganuary.

Do have a look at my article 'Six Simple Steps for a Health Veganuary' if you are thinking of taking part next month.

You can adjust the spice level to whatever you prefer. My kids are just venturing in to more spicy foods, so we've moved to adding cayenne pepper.  But you can adjust as you see fit or leave it out entirely if you're not keen on hot foods - the cumin and paprika give it a lovely flavour.

Serves 4

2 onions, finely chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 stick celery, finely chopped

3 carrots, chopped

1 large courgette, chopped

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tbsp sweet smoked paprika

1 tsp chilli powder, whichever heat you prefer

2 tins chopped tomatoes

1 tin kidney beans, drained

1 tin black beans, drained

1 tin aduki beans, drained 

1 tbsp tomato puree

Seasoning to taste

• Heat the oil gently in a large heavy based pan. Add the onions and sauté until soft.

• Add the chopped carrots, courgette and celery. Stir to combine and cook gently.

• Add the dried spices and crushed garlic, stir to combine well and heat until fragrant.

• Add the chopped tomatoes and stir to combine. Add the drained beans and tomato puree, mix well.

• Add seasoning to taste and let it simmer gently for 25-30 minutes. Keep stirring regularly so it doesn’t stick at the base.

• Serve with wholegrain rice or quinoa.

What exactly is mindful eating? 

Well, research defines it as incorporating the following:

• Mindfully noticing the eating experience by noticing the smell, texture and taste of the food
• Reducing how quickly we eat
• Understanding and acknowledging our own response to foods (likes, dislikes, or don’t mind) without any judgement
• Being aware of physical hunger and satiety cues to allow us make the right decision regarding when to start and stop eating
• Research shows that being mindful of what we put in our mouths not only stops us from accidentally over-consuming, with the problems that that entails, but also allows us to really enjoy the process and take full advantage of the flavours and experiences of the food we choose to eat.
• Mindful eating allows us to be in tune with our hunger, to sense our levels of fullness, and to feel satisfied about what we are consuming

So, how does mindful eating work?

Digestion actually begins in the brain in what is termed the 'cephalic phase' of eating. Just by acknowledging, smelling and seeing our food, our brain starts to get our body ready for the digestive process ahead. Just think about a time when you've smelled fresh bread wafting out of the bakers, or when you watch Nigella making anything on TV - your body starts to prepare to eat - your tummy rumbles, your mouth waters.

Stimulation of the parasympathetic nervous system,, or the 'rest and digest' mode of our bodies, by the evidence of an imminent meal triggers the brain to prepare the digestive tract for nourishment.

Taking this time allows your digestive juices in your mouth and stomach to get to work, thereby improving the level of digestion you will achieve. Remember the last time you bolted down a meal and felt bloated and terrible - your body wasn't in the right state to be accepting that food, and therefore your digestion was impaired.

But it's not just physical preparation that is helped by mindful eating. Research shows that it affects us emotionally too. Psychologists have found that mindfulness helps people to recognise the difference between emotional and physical hunger and satiety, thereby introducing a moment of opportunity and consideration between the urge to eat and the act of eating.

It's all too common for us to eat for many reasons that aren't actual physical hunger - boredom, sadness, irritation, sometimes just because it's there. And that's ok - but by giving ourselves a moment's contemplation, we allow ourselves the opportunity to decide if it really is what we want to do.

Check out my article here for some top tips for mindful eating during the festive season.

Photo by Lesly Juarez on Unsplash

Baked Cods with Puy Lentils

This is a lovely, super-quick mid-week meal - full of good quality protein, and with cheap and easy to find ingredients.  This is great with a big side helping of green veggies.

Serves 4

6 shallots, chopped (use 2 small onions, if you don't have shallots)

2 leeks, sliced

4 med carrots, peeled and cubed

2 packets pre-cooked Puy lentils (I use Merchant Gourmet, but you can easily replace with one tin of pre-cooked green lentils)

Extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp Herbes de Provence (or any woody, aromatic herb like rosemary or sage)

2 cloves garlic

Seasoning

4 frozen cod fillets

• Heat over to 200 degrees Celsius
• Put chopped shallots, leeks and carrots into a large oven dish. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with the herbs, add the crushed garlic, season to taste and give it a good mix up.
• Pop in the oven for 8 minutes.
• After the 8 mins has elapsed, take out the oven and nestle the frozen cod fillets into the veg, return to the oven for a further 25 minutes. 
• (If you’re using fresh cod fillets, then leave the veg to cook for a further 15 minutes (so a total of 23 mins), and then add the fish and cook for 10 minutes).
• Serve with a healthy side of green veg, drizzled with olive oil
• Enjoy!

There’s a lot of chat about blood sugar balance, but what does it actually mean?  Well, if your blood sugar is out of whack you may be experiencing the following symptoms:

You can’t go for more than three hours without eating something

If you’re hungry, you get irritable, moody or anxious

You find it hard to concentrate

You feel weak or dizzy

You experience trembling or shakiness

You often crave caffeine and need your coffee fix

You have a mid-afternoon slump where you find yourself reaching for the biscuits

You sometimes wake up unexpectedly in the middle of the night

These might be signs that you are suffering with blood sugar imbalance. In today’s busy world, our diets often comprise an array of refined carbohydrates, such as bread, breakfast cereals, pasta, cakes and biscuits, but we may not have enough protein or good fats with each meal.  How does this affect us? 

Well, this style of Western diet tends to be high in sugar and low in fibre, meaning foods are rapidly digested, converted into sugar and absorbed, and can therefore cause blood sugar spikes. A blood sugar spike can result in a large compensatory release of insulin, as insulin is a hormone which is produced in response to blood sugar levels, allowing it to be taken into cells for energy production. However, a large amount of insulin may temporarily lower blood sugar levels too far, resulting in blood sugar levels falling below normal.

This may cause you to want to eat more food, in turn possibly causing you to overeat leading to possible weight gain.  Equally, the brain needs a constant supply of energy for optimal performance, therefore a drop in blood sugar levels may affect brain function leading to symptoms such as lack of concentration, fatigue, racing thoughts, and a need to grab those crisps right away.

If this happens on a regular basis, your body starts to think something has gone awry and see these episodes as a form of stress.  So in steps the stress hormone cortisol, as one of its roles is to maintain blood sugar balance to allow enough fuel for the body to fight or flee. Remember getting away from that tiger?  By coming to the rescue, cortisol causes the body to generate more energy supplies, as a fuel to escape the stressor (that sabre-toothed tiger again), which may in turn continue the blood sugar imbalance causing a vicious cycle. Regular episodes like this may result in a blood sugar rollercoaster.  It is this rollercoaster that leads to many of the symptoms mentioned above.

So how can you step off this unwanted fairground ride, and balance your blood sugar? Check out my free eBook - 5 Steps to Blood Sugar Balance for more information. This is a free gift when you sign up to the newsletter.

Reference: Szablewski L (2020) Blood Glucose Levels Intechopen

This a wonderful quick and easy work-night meal. It doesn’t take very long to prepare and there is minimal washing up, both of which are must-haves in the Allan household during the week. This is also a great recipe for this time of year, as both leeks and mushrooms are in season, therefore abundant and affordable, and I’m still getting good Brassicas like the Romanesco cauliflower in my weekly veg box (thank you @Riverford!).

Miso paste is fairly widely available in most supermarkets. It’s a great ingredient to keep in the fridge, as it gives a wonderful umami flavour to broths, veggie gravy, stews and dressings. The pastes tend to taste much better than the powdered variety, so do opt for those if you can. Miso means ‘fermented beans’ in Japanese and is a nice way to incorporate a fermented food into your diet. Good for you gut!

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 leeks, sliced into rings

1 head Romanesco cauliflower, broken into florets (or use broccoli or cauliflower, if not available)

250g chestnut mushrooms, sliced

Olive oil

2 tbsp tamari (gluten-free soy sauce, or use regular soy sauce, if that’s what you have)

4 wild or sustainable salmon fillets

4 spring onions, thinly sliced

1 tbsp sesame seeds (garnish)

Brown rice or quinoa to serve

Dressing

1 tbsp miso paste

2 tbsp sesame oil

2 tbsp mirin (rice wine vinegar, or can be substituted with sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar)

½ inch grated ginger or 1 tbsp frozen grated ginger

1 red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced (optional)

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
2. Add the leeks, Romanesco florets and sliced mushrooms into a large roasting dish and drizzle with olive oil, 2 tbsp tamari and season with black pepper. Toss the vegetables to cover thoroughly and roast for 15 minutes. Put the rice or quinoa on to cook according to the packet instructions.
3. Whisk all the dressing ingredients together in a jug. Add a little warm water to loosen to pouring consistency, if necessary. When the 15 minutes are up, remove the roasting dish from the oven, give the veg a good shake, and then evenly space the salmon fillets into the dish, nestling into the veg.
4. Pour over the miso dressing, focussing on the fish fillets. Return the dish to the oven for approximately 10 minutes or until the fish is opaque and cooked to your liking.
5. Scatter over the sesame seeds and sliced spring onions. Serve with the brown rice or quinoa.