The pandemic has affected us in more ways than one, and changed the ways we function.
One of them is the new concept of working from home (WFH).
While this new model has helped companies in stemming the spread of the virus among staff, it has one downside too — mindless eating.
A large number of people used the time at home to turn to cooking and baking and reduced take-out meals (at least in the initial stages of the pandemic).
This unwittingly led to us eating cleaner and healthier.
However, there were also those who had to juggle WFH and household chores and didn’t find time to plan their diets.
These individuals found that their lifestyles became more sedentary and eating habits more disorganised.
Not to mention the physiological reasons for turning to food when the world has turned upside down.
In a special for IANS, Mona Johar, Functional Integrative Nutrition and co-founder of Mechanism Wellness, lists down ways of mindful eating in the time of work from home.
Structure your day
Not having the usual comfort zones like socialising, travelling to work or spending time outdoors, has pushed us towards eating disorders in the last one year.
And of course, the havoc caused by the absence of a routine. It is important for people to carry on with a schedule, to try to wake up at set times and go to sleep at certain times.
This will give them a purpose and do away with ‘pandemic boredom.’ Once there is a structure, things like diet, exercise and sleep will automatically fall into place.
Desktop diet
When life revolves around a table and chair for most parts of the day, thanks to home-schooling and WFH, the obvious conclusion is meals on the desk.
While snacking may help in keeping your energy levels up, in a sedentary environment it also aids your body in storing unnecessary fat.
One should have a combination of either low calorie and high protein snacks or low calorie and high fibre snacks. Plan your meals in advance and keep them as fresh and organic as possible.
Eat mindfully
Mindful and intuitive eating practices are not diets. They are mindsets that require you to trust your natural instincts and listen to your body’s hunger and fullness cues.
Mindful eating is about rethinking food choices and practices; going back to traditional ways of eating and engaging your senses by noticing colours, smells, sounds, textures, and taste.
Start an intuitive journey
Honour hunger: Keep your body biologically fed with adequate energy and carbohydrates. Once you reach the moment of excessive hunger, all intentions of moderate, conscious eating are fleeting and irrelevant.
Don’t eat for the wrong reasons: Get in touch with your feelings and don’t let food become an excuse for not dealing with emotions such as anger, anxiety, or loneliness.
Make peace with food: Buy food you feel like eating. Listen to your food cravings, it is alright to indulge every once in a while.
Stop when full: Listen for the body signals that tell you that you are no longer hungry. Observe the signs that show that you’re comfortably full.
Exercise and move for enjoyment: Not expressly for weight loss or calorie burning.
Eat nutrient dense food: Notice how you feel when you choose healthy, high-quality food. Take stock of your physical, mental and emotional responses.
