Optimizer, Alchemist, or Seeker? Find Your Health Style in 2 Minutes!

June 8, 2018

Mindful Eating 101

If you're like most people you're probably gearing up for the summer… cookouts, family dinners, road trips and eating on the go all seem to come into play much more this time of year. Unfortunately, these changes in routine and extra food can lead to some weight gain pretty quickly if you're not careful. Enter mindful eating.

Mindful Eating: A Simple Way to Fight Weight Gain

There is one ridiculously simple thing you can do to ward off the pounds this and any time of the year: mindful eating. This practice doesn't require counting calories or cutting out any particular kind of food. What it does require is some attention, intention and starting now. You can use this technique at any meal but it's especially helpful in situations where you might overeat.

If you do want to change to an easier way of eating, be sure to check out our beginner's keto guide. When you get carb and sugar cravings under control, eating mindfully is so much easier!

Mindful Eating

Steps to Mindful Eating

  • Identify eating patterns and emotions. Are there certain situations in which you tend to overeat? Do certain emotions or people affect what and how much you eat? Knowing these things prior to the situation allows for better choices.
  • Make choices prior to the event or meal. Are you ravenous or not really hungry at all? Let your awareness of internal cues guide your decision about what and how much to eat.
  • Set an intention for the meal. Is your intention to be nourished? Full? Eat all of your vegetables before anything else? Be present with the people with whom you are celebrating? Let your intention guide you throughout the meal.
  • Appreciate all aspects of the food you choose to eat. Notice and savor smell, taste, appearance and texture, chewing each bite thoroughly.
  • Be aware of the time it takes to eat the entire meal. The stomach needs some time to send signals of satiety to the brain.  The old adage is that it takes about 20 minutes for the stomach to signal the brain that it's full.
  • Appreciate the moments in between. Set down your fork in between bites and focus on chewing thoroughly. Be mindful of the presence of the people with whom you're sharing a meal. Take the time to enjoy the spirit of the event or meal and those around you.

Mindful eating will make any way of eating you choose to follow more effective and enjoyable!

 

Author

  • Cheryl McColgan

    Cheryl McColgan is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Heal Nourish Grow, where she has published evidence-based health and nutrition content since 2018.

    With over 30 years of experience in fitness, nutrition, and healthy living, and nearly 20 years of professional editorial and journalism experience, she brings both subject-matter depth and trained editorial judgment to everything on the site.

    Cheryl holds a degree in Psychology with a minor in Addictions Studies, completed graduate training in Clinical Psychology, and is a NASM Certified Personal Trainer and E-RYT Certified Yoga Instructor.
    She is the author of 21 Day Fat Loss Kickstart, Make Keto Easy, Take Diet Breaks and Still Lose Weight, The Grain Free Cookbook for Beginners, and Easy Weeknight Keto.

    Read more about Cheryl and the journey that created Heal Nourish Grow on the about page.
    Cheryl McColgan is the founder of Heal Nourish Grow, where she writes about protein, body composition, healthy aging, and evidence-based nutrition, along with the everyday habits that actually make those things work in real life.

    With a background in psychology and graduate training in clinical psychology, plus nearly 20 years of experience in editorial and publishing, Cheryl approaches health from both a research and real-world perspective. She’s also been immersed in fitness and nutrition for more than 25 years, which gives her a practical lens most purely academic content tends to miss.

    Her work today focuses heavily on protein intake (especially for women), muscle retention, metabolic health, and sustainable fat loss, along with topics like sleep, recovery, and wearable health tech. You’ll also find a mix of high-protein, low-carb recipes designed to make hitting those goals easier without overcomplicating things.

    Cheryl’s interest in health and nutrition became more personal after navigating her own autoimmune challenges, which pushed her to dig deeper into how lifestyle, diet, and daily habits impact long-term health. That experience continues to shape how she approaches everything on this site: practical, realistic, and focused on what actually works over time.

    What Cheryl Covers

    Most of the content here falls into a few core areas:

    Protein & Muscle Health: how much you actually need, especially for women and how to use protein to support strength, body composition, and aging
    Fat Loss & Metabolic Health: sustainable approaches that prioritize muscle retention and long-term results
    Healthy Habits & Lifestyle: sleep, movement, strength training, consistency, and the small things that compound over time
    Wearables & Recovery: real-world testing and comparisons of tools like Oura, Whoop and others
    High-Protein & Low-Carb Recipes: simple, realistic meals that support your goals without feeling restrictive
    Travel & Lifestyle: wellness-focused travel, outdoor experiences, and a slightly more elevated take on healthy living

    If you're new, here are a few good places to begin:

    30 Day Healthy Habits Challenge

    Protein Foundations

    High Protein Recipes

    About Cheryl & Heal Nourish Grow

    Coaching and Programs

Cheryl McColgan

Cheryl McColgan

Cheryl McColgan is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Heal Nourish Grow, where she has published evidence-based health and nutrition content since 2018.

With over 30 years of experience in fitness, nutrition, and healthy living, and nearly 20 years of professional editorial and journalism experience, she brings both subject-matter depth and trained editorial judgment to everything on the site.

Cheryl holds a degree in Psychology with a minor in Addictions Studies, completed graduate training in Clinical Psychology, and is a NASM Certified Personal Trainer and E-RYT Certified Yoga Instructor.
She is the author of 21 Day Fat Loss Kickstart, Make Keto Easy, Take Diet Breaks and Still Lose Weight, The Grain Free Cookbook for Beginners, and Easy Weeknight Keto.

Read more about Cheryl and the journey that created Heal Nourish Grow on the about page.
Cheryl McColgan is the founder of Heal Nourish Grow, where she writes about protein, body composition, healthy aging, and evidence-based nutrition, along with the everyday habits that actually make those things work in real life.

With a background in psychology and graduate training in clinical psychology, plus nearly 20 years of experience in editorial and publishing, Cheryl approaches health from both a research and real-world perspective. She’s also been immersed in fitness and nutrition for more than 25 years, which gives her a practical lens most purely academic content tends to miss.

Her work today focuses heavily on protein intake (especially for women), muscle retention, metabolic health, and sustainable fat loss, along with topics like sleep, recovery, and wearable health tech. You’ll also find a mix of high-protein, low-carb recipes designed to make hitting those goals easier without overcomplicating things.

Cheryl’s interest in health and nutrition became more personal after navigating her own autoimmune challenges, which pushed her to dig deeper into how lifestyle, diet, and daily habits impact long-term health. That experience continues to shape how she approaches everything on this site: practical, realistic, and focused on what actually works over time.

What Cheryl Covers

Most of the content here falls into a few core areas:

Protein & Muscle Health: how much you actually need, especially for women and how to use protein to support strength, body composition, and aging
Fat Loss & Metabolic Health: sustainable approaches that prioritize muscle retention and long-term results
Healthy Habits & Lifestyle: sleep, movement, strength training, consistency, and the small things that compound over time
Wearables & Recovery: real-world testing and comparisons of tools like Oura, Whoop and others
High-Protein & Low-Carb Recipes: simple, realistic meals that support your goals without feeling restrictive
Travel & Lifestyle: wellness-focused travel, outdoor experiences, and a slightly more elevated take on healthy living

If you're new, here are a few good places to begin:

30 Day Healthy Habits Challenge

Protein Foundations

High Protein Recipes

About Cheryl & Heal Nourish Grow

Coaching and Programs

See all posts by Cheryl

3 comments

  • Stop Overeating, Stress Eating, Binge Eating: Stick to Any Diet

    […] In this week’s episode, Dr. Glenn Livingston shines a light on the industry of dietary habits, eating disorders, and more. His work relates people’s emotional states to the types of food they crave or struggle with and noticed the same in his own life. He’s passionate about teaching this correlation to others and how knowing about this can overcome poor eating habits. […]

  • Holiday Weight Gain, How to Avoid it With Simple Strategies

    […] What is Ultimate Wellness, goal setting exercise Five C’s to Create Better Habits Low Carb Pumpkin Pie Exercise and Oxidative Stress Introduction to Meditation Hyponatremia Accountabilibuddy Low Carb Bloody Mary Mix Dry Farm Wines Mindful Eating […]

  • Power of Diet and Lifestyle for Health with Dr. Elizabeth Sharp

    […] Mindful eating can improve digestion and reduce stress. […]

Leave a comment