Do you know the benefits of the careful diet? Discover!

Do you know the benefits of the careful diet? Discover!


The careful diet derives from awareness, the “full -friendly method” so called.

Eating calmly and consciousness changes your relationship with food: the expert indicates a daily training of 20 minutes

It is called diet attentive to the practice of meals consciously. It is a technique derived from awareness, a meditation method that emerged in the United States in the late 70s, initially designed to reduce stress levels. Since awareness, also known as the “Method of Complete Care”, emerged at the University of Massachusetts, their derivations have acquired relevance, also for the treatment of depression.




One of the main advantages of the careful diet is that it can be tested by all those who need to transform its relationship with food, regardless of clinical history. People who are emotional hunger so called – the compulsory food caused by anxiety or other disorders – are directly beneficial, since this technique requires concentration during meals.

Set your time

One of the guidelines of careful food supporters is to book a few minutes of the day for the exercise. In this case, evaluate the best time for you, according to your routine, your preferences and your habits.

There are those who choose breakfast, as it is possible to wake up first to devote yourself to practice. Other people choose to try the diet at night, when professional needs are already completed. Those who produce the home office can select the lunch break: less than an hour is enough to apply awareness to food.

You have to focus

Remember that awareness is based on oriental meditation, which consists in emptying the mind and directing attention to the present moment. As we meditate, we have the opportunity to get to know each other better, reach mental clarity and find an emotional balance.

You could ask yourself: what is the difference between meditation and awareness? In general, it is the religious component: the practitioner of awareness must not have spiritual faith or follow a religion to incorporate the American method in his daily life.

In the book MinduFulness for depression: 100 meditations to practice full attention, control anxiety and bring well -being (Astral Cultural), the author Sophie Lazarus, who is a psychologist and researcher, recommends practicing the careful diet in 20 minutes on average. “With awareness, we can start healing becoming more aware of the habits deeply rooted in us that increase our anguish,” says the author in the introduction of the book.

Initially, you can choose one of the meals to use the technique, especially when you are at home and in the company of tight relatives (it is more difficult to try the Happy Hour treatments with friends or a party …). However, when you get used to you, you will notice a change in your relationship with food, as well as a more accurate perception of your emotional states related to eating. In gaining this perception, it is possible to slow down food.

Learn the technique

1 – Bring your food dish to a quiet place in your home. If you are a beginner, it is better to start alone to stay concentrated. Make sure you can book 20 minutes for this meal. Removed from external stimuli such as mobile, notebook and TV. Turn off the screens around you;

2 – Evaluate your hunger. Do you need a high need to eat? Or medium need? Is your hunger small? To avoid distractions, take a deep breath and strive to maintain concentration in the now. Before starting to eat, look at the food in front of you. Check the colors and plot of each;

3 – A few seconds before carrying the food in the mouth, notes the smell of every food. Absorb this olfactory information before effectively demonstrating food;

4 – When you start chewing, prolong this transition to the maximum. He eats calmly, tranquility, without haste, no race. Try to taste each food before swallowing. If you give, let the cutlery rest on the plate while chewing;

5 – guide all your attention on the power deed, so that your senses are focused exclusively on nutrition. While eating, notes the shades and coherence of food. Note that they are changing while chewing;

6 – In the previous step, it is common to lose concentration and think about something else. We learned, during our training, that eating is automatic, so don’t be discouraged. Keep the reins of your thoughts again and resume concentration;

7 – As the meal experiences effectively, analyzes the level of his hunger. Was it softened? What are the most obvious sensations you can identify? Satisfaction? Relief? Serenity? If you have a habit of drinking water during meals, drink a sip and wait just before eating;

8 – Is the meal finished? Don’t get up quickly to take care of other tasks. Stay sitting, breathe slowly and make the experience you have just lived better. What did you learn about yourself?

Source: Terra

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