“Mindful eating” could help in losing weight, from the Harvard Health Letter

Does this sound familiar? You’re at your computer, facing a wall of e-mails. Before you know it, you’ve finished lunch without even noticing it. A small yet growing body of research suggests that a slower, more thoughtful way of eating could help with weight problems and maybe steer some people away from less-healthful choices, reports the February 2011 issue of the Harvard Health Letter.

Applied to eating, mindfulness includes noticing the colors, smells, flavors, and textures of your food; chewing slowly; and getting rid of distractions like watching TV or reading. If you eat too quickly, your body's signals of satiety (fullness) may occur after you have overeaten instead of providing a signal to stop eating.