Developing Mindful Eating Habits for Climbers : trust your body
Do you ever feel stressed out about all of the messages we are bombarded with concerning nutrition? Whether it’s calories, macronutrients, nutrient timing, collagen, BCAAs, trendy supplements, recovery nutrition, hydration, various fad diets, diet culture, ANTI-diet culture… The list can go on forever. In this article, we are introducing you to a mindful eating approach to nutrition that can help you discover how to tune into and trust your own body.
We are overloaded and overwhelmed by these many, often conflicting, messages we receive on a day-to-day basis. It’s no wonder this leaves us feeling so stressed out when making decisions about food! These messages leave us out of tune with our body’s needs, and create confusion when fueling for our training or performance sessions, sometimes leading to decision fatigue and unsupportive eating behaviors. At its worst, they can create feelings of self-criticism, guilt, shame, and low self-worth.
This is where practicing mindful eating behaviors can come in handy.
What Is Mindfulness and mindful eating approach ?
Although it can sound like another slap-on identity for someone walking around shrouded in a holier-than-thou incense cloud of spiritual promise and Spirulina, it’s more intrinsic than that. Mindfulness helps you focus on experiencing the present moment. It will encourage you to bring awareness to your thoughts, feelings, behaviors, environment… And physical body sensations, without judgment or reacting.
Mindful eating invites you to be present. It aims to provide you with some clarity, and gives you the presence of mind to respond in a new way. Developing mindfulness can be used as a tool to help guide you to nourish yourself in a way that gives you optimal health, foster a healthy relationship with food. It will also support you in your performance! It can help you find a way to savor your food without any judgment, guilt, anxiety… Or negative internal commentary.
