Erin O'Hara: Mindful eating for better digestion

Mindful eating is when we become fully connected with all the sensations experienced when eating and drinking including sight, sound, touch, smell and taste.  

Why is eating more mindful is helpful? By being more mindful and conscious it helps us to reflect on what we are eating, how and why. 

Naturopath Erin O'Hara shared her insights with Francesca Rudkin as well as a few mindful eating tips to help improve digestion.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudkin
from News talks'b.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
Joining me now to talk wellness is Erin O'Hara. Good morning,
Good morning. Right, So we're heading into the time of
the year where maybe our willpower or our consistency when
it comes to eating well kind of goes out the door,
but we kind of, you know, go why not and
you know, help ourselves to an extra sausage roll at
that Christmas party or something. So you've got to love

(00:34):
a little topic for us today about mindful eating.

Speaker 3 (00:38):
Yeah, I think at this time of year there's a
lot more variety of foods available, healthy and unhealthy, and
I think it's a time where it's not about feeling
guilty about what you're eating, but instead going, Okay, how
can I enjoy all these foods but keep it balanced.
And that's where really mindful eating is very, very helpful,
and it can mean you can still enjoy those extra

(01:00):
little treat foods and Christmas meals and not feel guilty
or feel sick after eating because you can bring up
a little bit of balance. And when I'm talking about
mindful eating a meaning really fully connecting to what you're
eating and all the sensations that you experience as you eat,
which is things like the site, like looking at it,

(01:20):
the sound, the touch, the smell, the taste, and actually
savoring every little mouthful of the goodness of whatever it
is that you're eating.

Speaker 2 (01:29):
I learned something interesting recently, and that is if you
want to feel full, like properly full, one of the
easiest ways to do that is to slow down your
eating and being a little bit more conscious of what
you're eating and mindful of what you're eating.

Speaker 3 (01:44):
And that's what we're talking about, is just slowing down
and being more mindful of every mouthful that you have
and actually making sure you chew it properly, which is
actually the start of digestion. And that's where mindful eating
can actually improve digestion as well. So it can help
with reducing bloating and discomfort. Reduces the chance of overeating.

(02:06):
You are eating slower, your body actually has a chance
to actually go, oh, yeah, I've eaten something. You get
that brain message to tell you that you're actually have
a full and you actually will be less likely to
binge eat or over eat.

Speaker 2 (02:20):
I don't know whether other parents were the same as me.
But the minute I had kids, I changed the way
at eight, like the way I ate just changed. It
was just rushed. It was always just hurried. It was
likely's just get this meal and because the baby's going
to need you in a minute, or you're going to
need to do this, so you've got to get moving
and do this. You know, it completely changed away eat
and occasionally has it down and like just shovel food
and I go, what are you doing?

Speaker 3 (02:38):
It's a really common thing for parents drinks today we're teenagers.

Speaker 2 (02:42):
There's no rush here, you know.

Speaker 3 (02:44):
Common for parents, but also busy people like having you know,
your lunch at your desk, which I occasionally do do.
I am also one of these people that can be busy.
And it's actually not great for our new digestion. If
you're trying to read emails and shovel food in your mouth,
you're not actually going to have that ability to enjoy

(03:05):
the food and get all those good nutrients out of
it when you're actually rushing the meal and shoveling the
food in.

Speaker 2 (03:10):
Because you've actually got to think about slowing down. It's
not It sounds easy, right, It sounds.

Speaker 3 (03:16):
Like the most basic principle but it's so hard for
the busy person. Is actually's sitting down, So not eating
on the go, not eating in your car, not eating
at your dessert, actually sitting down, enjoying the meal, chewing
your food thoroughly, which is actually the start of digestion.
Is actually putting the food in your mouth, put your
fork down, and actually chew your food very thoroughly, because

(03:37):
that's actually having to break down the food, get all
the saliva, which is actually the start of breaking down
food and digesting food properly. And then also serving your
food on a plate and not eating out of the bag.
So I have in a bag of chips, like if
you put it into a little bowl, you're gonna actually
have some good portion control, and that's actually mindful eating
in itself is actually going you know what, I'm going

(03:59):
to have a small bowl of chips, but I'm going
to really enjoy them and eat them slowly and actually
get the taste and the smell, the saltiness of them,
and it will actually help you not over each and
eat a humongous bagger chips.

Speaker 2 (04:13):
Very good advice, Erin, Thank you so much for talk next.

Speaker 1 (04:16):
Week for more from the Sunday session, with Francesca Rudkin.
Listen live to news talks it'd be from nine am Sunday,
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