Mindfulness

Mindfulness means keeping your attention fully in the here and now – noticing what is happening without immediately judging it. That sounds simple, but it's rare in everyday life: we eat in front of a screen, drink our coffee standing up and only realise we've eaten when we see the empty plate. Mindful eating brings your mind back to the table.

The benefits can be measured. It takes about 15 to 20 minutes for the fullness signals from your stomach and gut to properly reach your brain. If you eat slowly, chew thoroughly and put your cutlery down now and then, you're more likely to notice you're full in time – in studies, people who ate this way ate a little less on average, without counting anything. Reviews show that mindfulness-based programmes can reduce binge eating and emotional eating; their effect on weight is less reliable, but people's relationship with food often becomes more relaxed.

How to practise it: make a point of eating one meal a day without your phone or the TV. Look at your food, smell it, take in the first bite consciously – its temperature, texture and taste. Halfway through your plate, ask yourself: how full am I right now on a scale of 1 to 10? You're allowed to stop before your plate is empty. And you're allowed to enjoy it: mindfulness isn't about going without, it's about more flavour in every bite.

For families, eating together at the table is the best practice: screens away, everyone shares something about their day, and children get to sense for themselves when they're full instead of having to clear their plate. Being allowed to listen to your own body like this makes it more likely you'll keep a good feel for hunger and fullness – a valuable foundation for a relaxed relationship with food.