If you’re reading this it is likely that you or someone you love suffers with food intolerances or allergies. You’re not alone, the CSIRO reports that 1 in 2 Australians suffer gut health symptoms such as bloating, indigestion and constipation. Dietitians Australia reports that 1 in 3 suffer from IBS. As we well know, food intolerance is the most common cause.
What many people don’t know however is that these conditions are treatable. Whilst some sensitivities are acquired such as lactose intolerance and, in some cases, gluten sensitivity, most people have developed food sensitivity due to stress, poor sleep, imbalanced diet, nutritional deficiencies – or of course a combination of all. Over the past 12 years I’ve helped thousands of Australians to recover from food sensitivity, bloating, constipation and IBS. My goal is to help people improve gut health and rebuild their diets. In my experience, mindful eating is one of the most powerful tools.
The Power of Mindful Eating
Mindful eating is commonly over complicated by experts and as a result many shy away from it. When you keep it really simple however, mindful eating is incredibly easy to implement – with seriously promising results.
By practicing mindful eating, you can:
- Identify Triggers: Through mindful eating, you can identify specific foods or ingredients that may be causing intolerance symptoms. This helps personalise your diet for improved gut and general health.
- Improve Digestion: Slowing down and chewing your food properly allows your brain to detect the exact foods and nutrients on their way. The correct digestive processes are then activated and you better digest your food.
- Reduce Stress: Stress can negatively impact digestion and worsen intolerance symptoms. By reducing stress through mindful eating you not only feel happier but are also improving digestion and reducing symptoms.
- Rebuild Your Diet: Remember, food intolerances are dose dependent, there is usually a volume you can safely consume whilst remaining symptom free. This volume should increase over time as your gut health improves. By improving general digestion and taking time out to enjoy foods, we can more easily determine our threshold – leading to a more successful reintroduction.
How to Practice Mindful Eating
Mindful eating is easy when you keep it simple, here are my top tips for practicing mindful eating:
- Slow down
- Eliminate distractions
- Sit with good posture
- Relax and breathe
- Separate drinks from meals
This may sound too easy but you’ll be very surprised how many people are shovelling down their food, whilst holding their breath and scrolling through socials/powering through emails and compensating for a lack of chewing with big gulps of water. This combination of bad habits leads to indigestion, reflux, bloating, gas and stronger food reactions.
Start Your Mindful Eating Journey Today
Are you ready to embark on your mindful eating adventure? Join the movement and start healing from intolerance one mindful bite at a time!
If you’d like more tips like these, get my book ‘Ultimate Bloat Buster: Your 7 day guide to good gut health’ – we reached number 27 on Amazon’s best sellers list for hot and new healthy living books. Want to take it a step further? Join my signature program – The Food Intolerance Solution 12 Steps to Freedom From Intolerance.
Food Intolerance Australia is a Show Ambassador of the Free From + Allergy Show.
