Hands up who indulged in all the yummy foods and drink that the holiday season brings? Yep, me too. That can be bad news for those of us who find our tinnitus becomes more obvious with a lot of sugar, caffeine or alcohol.
So, with the New Year around the corner, here are six simple ways we can resolve to help our tinnitus – by eating mindfully.
1. Savor the flavors
Regardless of what you are eating, bring mindfulness to the process by really paying attention to the flavors. Note the sweet, salty, spicy, bitter, sour, and pungent notes in the foods you consume. Notice how some flavors that wow you to begin with have less impact as you eat more of the food.
2. Use all your senses
Beyond savoring the flavors, you can tune into the food you eat with your other senses. What does the food look like? What does it smell like? What does it feel like? What sounds does it make as you chew?
3. Eat slowly
Many of us eat too quickly, but when we slow down the process, we can enjoy each meal much more than we might normally.
4. Practice gratitude
Cultivate thankfulness by offering gratitude for your food. This can be a practice that you share with loved ones before a meal or you can explore it on your own. Note all that there is to be thankful for on your plate: the food itself, the seeds, the soil, and the hands that helped along the way from farm to fork.
5. Be mindful of your mood
The mood we are in has an impact on the foods we choose to eat. When we are in a positive mood, we are more likely to make healthier choices. Take a moment to breathe and notice how your mood, rather than your health, may be influencing your choice of food. Make wise choices for your tinnitus.
6. Notice your hunger and fullness cues
Often, we let our mind dictate our eating habits, rather than listening to our bodies. So, it can be useful to consider “How does my body tell me it is hungry?” “What sensations tell me when I have had enough?” Eating slowly can help us notice these cues and avoid overeating.
If you like this and want to know how mindfulness can change your tinnitus experience for the better, take a look at my Bee Empowered course.