
Many people suffer from overeating. While weight gain may not affect the entire population, nearly everyone has experienced the gas, bloating, and malaise that comes from overeating. Some of this practice is a learned habit, while other causes come from various sources. Regardless of the reason, anyone can practice conscious eating to reduce overeating and unwanted effects.
What Is Conscious Eating?
Conscious eating describes meaningful food intake. From start to finish, the experience of food entering your body is a mindful one. Conscious eating is the antithesis of fast food and is more akin to the slow food movement alongside the farm-to-table movement a few years back in the restaurant scene. Conscious eating doesn’t preclude eating at restaurants or eating your favorite snacks or sweets; you can even still enjoy a cocktail provided that you know the best detox after drinking alcohol. However, conscious eating does limit your eating experience to, well, a complete experience.
As a conscious eater, you would ideally source and choose your ingredients, then prepare your meal before eating it slowly. As you eat, you would savor each bite, considering the elements that comprise the meal. The features are not only tastes and ingredients; conscious eating involves acknowledging source information, nutritional impact, and environmental impact. Some conscious eaters also consider the ramifications of non-native and native plants and animals on local and global ecosystems and climate change.
If you think this is all too much to take in over a bowl of cereal, that’s the point. You should have a glass of water by your side as you consciously eat. While completing your meal, these items you consider should be happening between each bite, slowing your eating speed. As a result, conscious eating is two-fold. First, you will likely begin to make better choices about your food consumption. Second, you will undoubtedly eat slower if you have to run down a mental checklist before hitting that last tater tot. Slower eating means getting full before eating more, which is a win against weight gain and for gas and bloating relief.
What To Consider During Mealtime To Avoid Overeating

As you might imagine, expertly practicing conscious eating isn’t a skill that’s honed overnight. There are other tactics tha you can employ, such as a digestive system cleanse or walking before your meal, that aid in not overeating. Other methods include:
- Drinking a full glass of water before the meal
- Eating all leafy, green, or vegetable foods first
- Immediately taking half the portion away and packing it for leftovers
- One glass of alcohol only during the meal
- Cleaning the entire table and resetting before getting seconds
As you prepare for your next meal, consider trying conscious eating. Source your own ingredients, cook your own meal, divide it into appropriately sized portions, and drink your water. Conscious eating might be the right approach for you if you have struggled with overeating in the past and want to avoid weight gain or unpleasant effects like bloating and gas.