Tag Archives: AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center

Prevention of Relapse after Heroin addiction Recovery

Prevention of Relapse after Heroin addiction Recovery: What can be done within reach?

Prevention of Relapse after Heroin addiction Recovery

Prevention of Relapse after Heroin addiction Recovery forms one of the fundamentals of treatment of addiction

If only we could prevent all the harms that affect our wellbeing life could be very enjoyable. The society we live in is saturated with toxic pollution that even if you are not using any drug, your safety can not be guaranteed. If this is the position, then you can imagine the kind of life people who are addicted with drugs are living. It is one that you would not want to associate with if given a chance. But because we are not living in isolation we have a duty to care for our friends who are struggling with various kinds of addictions. Treatment then becomes a must for those affected and proper follow up thereafter. The process or practice of follow up is very important because besides being part of the treatment process, it is also a way of prevention of relapse after heroin addiction recovery or treatment. This article is going to dwell much on the prevention of relapse as a way of keeping healthy. Therefore we can say that relapse is generally the deterioration in someone’s state of health after a temporary improvement. Nevertheless in the context of addictive behaviors, a relapse would occur when the addict resumes his or her addictive behavior after a period of abstinence.

Experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury who is also the founder of the facility states that, for people who are trying to control their behavior rather than trying to quit entirely, a relapse is a period of uncontrolled behavior. Like for instance, for one trying to control his/her drinking, the occurrence of relapse could result in a session of binge drinking. In the same way when it comes to shopaholics who are trying to follow a spending plan, a relapse could be going on a shopping spree. In whichever way you look at it, relapse is not healthy. It takes you back several steps from the steps you have made in recovering from the bigger problem. Doctor Akoury explains that the way to prevent a relapse is to primarily recognize and deal with some of the elements that are likely to get in the way of recovery. Effective learning on how to overcome these challenges will go a long way in helping you to keep up the changes you’ve made during treatment. There are several things that a person can do to prevent relapse. And the following are some of the strategies that you may find helpful:

Prevention of Relapse after Heroin addiction Recovery: Identify a support system and stick to it

It is all about pooling together, what you know is not known by another and vice versa. It is therefore very important to surround yourself with people who are positive, those who loves, support and encourage you. Such people could come from your family, your friends, or your care providers. They will be there to help you when you are struggling with a difficult situation and experiences. I appreciate that opening up may not be very easy, however it is still very crucial that you should feel comfortable seeking for help whenever you need it. Some people find it useful to make a list of names and phone numbers to call if they start to slip back into old thought patterns or unhealthy eating behaviors.

Prevention of Relapse after Heroin addiction Recovery: Eliminate all negative influences

Try to get rid of any negative influences in your life. That includes people who make you feel bad about yourself or who constantly obsess about their own weight and appearance. Remember that your own thoughts can also be a bad influence. It is therefore very important that you learn on how to question any destructive thoughts you have about yourself. You could start by making a list of all of your good qualities and use it when you feel critical or pessimistic.

Prevention of Relapse after Heroin addiction Recovery: Get to know your Triggers

This is very important since you will be guided when there are indications of relapsing. Knowing your triggers is very helpful in defeating relapse since these are the biggest enemies of sustainability. A trigger is anything that can cause you to return to disordered eating or thoughts about disordered eating. Each person has their own triggers. They can include feeling stressed, anxious, depressed or lonely. Sometimes a traumatic experience, such as the death of a loved one can be a trigger. Some people are more likely to relapse at certain times of the year, such as during holidays or exams. To identify your triggers, think of times when you were tempted to relapse. Try to figure out what made you feel that way.

Prevention of Relapse after Heroin addiction Recovery: Prepare your coping plan

Make a list of different triggers that could cause you to relapse. Then, come up with a plan for dealing with each of these triggers in a healthier, more constructive way. Your coping plan might include calling a friend, taking a walk, or writing in a journal something that will destruct you from thinking of going back to your old habits.

Prevention of Relapse after Heroin addiction Recovery: Eat your meals regularly

A meal and snack schedule can prevent you from going back to disordered eating or even thinking of your drugs. Plan your meals and snacks ahead of time, and remember not to skip any. Take seriously taking the three meals a day plus snacks, at regular times (about every 3 hours). A consistent schedule will be good for both your emotional and physical health. Your family may be able to help by making sure that you don’t skip any of the three meals and also incorporating snacks in between.

Prevention of Relapse after Heroin addiction Recovery: Keep busy and stay involved

Creativity can be of help to you in keeping you busy. Your mind needs to be engaged in productive things. This will help you escape the temptation of getting back to the old habits. Activities which could help you engaged may include anything from arts & crafts, to volunteering, to nature walks, to joining a club. If you make time to do the things you enjoy, or to do nice things for others, your focus will shift away from your addictions and eating disorder. It can also help to keep you motivated to recover and to stay connected to your surroundings and the people in your community. Finally always seek for assistance from the experts from time to time. Doctor Akoury and her team of expert at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center will be there for you should you need any help.

Prevention of Relapse after Heroin addiction Recovery: What can be done within reach?

 

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Treatment Procedures for Drug Addiction

Treatment Procedures for Drug Addiction: Heroin and Other Opiates

Treatment Procedures for Drug Addiction

Treatment Procedures for Drug Addiction will eventually make you have an addiction free life.

The problem of drug addiction has stolen the dignity of our societies and we are all in one way or another affected or infected by this problem. Most societies are ruin by the use of drugs and families have not known peace because a member is an addict of a given drug. Heroin has become one of the most abused drugs thanks to its easy accessibility and affordability. The enormity of this problem is getting out of hand and prisons blocks alone are not enough to offer the much need solution. Even though this problem is of this magnitude, the good news is that it is treatable. There are very good treatment procedures for drug addiction today and that is going to be our point of focus in this discussion. We spoke to doctor Dalal Akoury who is the MD and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center and she will be helping us understand the treatment procedures available.

Doctor Akoury says that this problem of drug addiction is a treatable disorder. Prevention would have been the best option but because it is already with us we are going to look at the mechanisms of treating this disorder and consider prevention in the next article. Now because of many different conditions in drug addiction, it is important that the specific treatment must be tailored to suits the individual’s needs. This is necessary because many drug addicts have a compound of other problems that hinders proper treatment like mental health, occupational, health, or social problems.

Treatment Procedures for Drug Addiction: Types of Treatments for Patients

The success of this campaign would be realized when treatment procedures for drug addiction is adhered to. And treatments often include behavioral therapy, mediations and sometimes a combination of both. The most important thing is that when patients are duly treated for their addiction, they will be able to have some control over their lives and be productive to the society. That is why all over the world the campaign is to have as many people as possible for treatment. Therefore if you or anyone you know is suffering from any form of addiction, then you can be of help to them by scheduling for an appointment with the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury today and you will have your life back in the most professional and dignified way.

One of the biggest hindrances to treatment is that many addicted people often make an assumption that they can quit using drugs all by themselves without treatment. Actually many have tried but they have failed consistently resulting in long term abstinence. And that is why according to the NIDA Research has shown that long-term drug use results in significant changes in brain function that persist long after the individual stops using drugs. These drug-induced changes in brain function may have many behavioral consequences, including the compulsion to use drugs despite adverse consequences which is the defining characteristic of addiction. And that is why achieving abstinence without treatment is so difficult if not impossible.

Treatment Procedures for Drug Addiction: Mechanisms Essential for a Successful Treatment

Recognition – For any meaningful treatment to yield results, the victim must first come to the point of recognizing and accepting that they have a problem which needs to be fixed. Denial is one of the greatest impediments when it comes to drug abuse treatment. Anyone in denial will not seek for help even if that help is presented to them by their concerned relatives. In many cases patients who are in denial will consent to treatment not because they have accepted but out of pressure from their loved ones

Detoxification – Treatment begins with detoxification, which is the gradual withdrawal of an abused substance under a controlled environment. In some cases a drug that is similar to the abused drug (e.g. methadone for heroin) is substituted during withdrawal to lessen the miserable symptoms and health risks associated with the withdrawal process. Depending on the drug that the person is addicted to, the withdrawal process can be handled through either an inpatient or an outpatient basis.

 Rehabilitation – This is necessary to prevent the recurrence of drug abuse.  Rehabilitation involved behavioral therapies such as counseling, psychotherapy, support groups, or family therapy. Behavior therapy helps people to cope with their drug cravings and it teaches them ways to avoid drugs, prevent relapse, and what to do if a relapse occurs.  It has been established that merging a behavior therapy program with treatment medications, such as methadone, helps to suppress the withdrawal syndrome, the drug craving, and in blocking the effects of other drugs (caffeine).  Studies have shown that using methadone at adequate dosage levels in treating heroin addiction along with behavioral therapies reduces death rates and many health problems.

 Abstinence – Following rehabilitation, the abuser must have a lifelong abstinence from drug abuse. Relapses from this drug abstinence may occur and lead to recurrent dependence.

Treatment Procedures for Drug Addiction: Types of Treatment Methods

The treatment program duration could either be short term or long term depending on the patient’s condition.

  • Short-term methods – last less than 6 months, include residential therapy, medication therapy, and drug free outpatient therapy
  • Long-term methods – may include medication therapy such as methadone maintenance outpatient treatment for opiate addicts and residential therapeutic treatment

Outpatient and Inpatient

  • Outpatient drug free treatment– does not include medication and encompasses a wide variety of programs for patients that visit a clinic at regular intervals. It actually involves individual or group counseling. Normally patients registering for this type of program do not abuse opiates, or are opiate abusers for whom maintenance therapy is needed. Generally these patients have stable lives and only brief histories of drug dependence
  • Therapeutic Communities – highly structured communities where patients stay for 6-12 months. Patients generally have long histories of drug dependence, involvement in serious criminal activities, and seriously impaired social functioning. This type of program focuses on the re-socialization of the patient to a drug free and crime free lifestyle.
  • Short-term residential programs – chemical dependency units,” based on the “Minnesota Model” of treatment for alcoholism.  Involve 3- to 6-week inpatient treatment phase followed by an extended outpatient therapy in a 12-step self-help group such as Narcotics Anonymous or Cocaine Anonymous.

Finally doctor Akoury recommends that if you are able to avoid using drugs the better. Treatment is more tasking than preventing which is the most ideal for good health. It would be the best thing you can do for yourself and to the whole society. But you are un able to all is not lost you can still get help from the experts up on scheduling for an appointment with doctor Akoury today.

Treatment Procedures for Drug Addiction: Heroin and Other Opiates

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The Relationship between Heroin Abuse and Depression

The Relationship between Heroin Abuse and Depression: Exposing the Health complication they represent

The Relationship between Heroin Abuse and Depression

The Relationship between Heroin Abuse and Depression is very evident with various kinds of addiction like heroin and other drugs

It is without any doubt that all drug users and not necessarily heroin addicts are all suffering from depression and addiction. These two elements are of the same characteristic when it comes to substance abuse. Our focus in this article is going to be looking at the relationship between heroin abuse and depression. This drug heroin is a very powerful opiate capable of making alterations to the user’s brain chemistry and thereby causing mood changes, suicidal behavior, psychological dependence and addiction. It is currently estimated that up to half of all opiate users have at one time experienced depression in their lives. Anyone suffering from any kind of addiction heroin included will be going through what is known as dual diagnosis should it be discovered that they are also suffering from depression. With this condition, doctor Akoury says that chances of long term recovery would be very slim.

From her over two decades of experience doctor Akoury says that not unless the user is treated for both conditions, it is likely that he or she will relapse soon after rehab. It is important to note that in numerous instances, majority of depressed heroin user fail to get treatment. Nonetheless, according to findings from the clinical studies depression and substance abuse are treated simultaneously and when this is done, the depressive symptoms often improve. This has further been confirmed by Biological Psychiatry registering that opiate addicts who go through residential rehab or methadone maintenance treatment have significant improvement in their depression.

Therefore the key to treating heroin abuse and depression successfully is to identify both conditions early in the recovery process. Intensive neuropsychological assessment can reveal the signs of co-occurring psychiatric disorders like depression. Once mental illness has been identified, treatment must address both depression and heroin addiction to be successful.

The Relationship between Heroin Abuse and Depression: How Heroin Affects the Psyche

You must have known that heroin is a synthetic drug produced from morphine, a potent analgesic that comes from the opium poppy. Heroin exerts its effects by binding with receptor cells in the brain that respond to opiates. When injected, snorted or smoked heroin can converts into morphine in the brain, where it slows down neurological activity and induces a state of sedation.

For many users, a heroin high produces a rush of euphoria and a sense of profound relaxation. But the National Alliance on Mental Illness states that in people with psychiatric disorders, the side effects of heroin are more likely to be negative. For someone with depression, heroin may seem like an antidote to hopelessness, sadness and guilt.

The psychosocial effects of heroin can also contribute to depression. Heroin is highly debilitating, and users often experience job loss, relationship conflicts, legal problems and financial troubles.

The physical consequences of heroin use including respiratory illness, blood-borne diseases, muscular weakness and vascular damage can also cause severe emotional distress.

Because the brain adjusts quickly to the effects of heroin, physical and psychological dependence develop rapidly. The National Institute on Drug Abuse states that nearly one-fourth (23 percent) of individuals who use heroin will eventually reach the point of addiction. Once addiction sets in, use of the drug becomes compulsive and uncontrollable in spite of the devastating effects of abuse. All of these factors can intensify feelings of hopelessness, despair and self-loathing: the hallmarks of depression.

The Relationship between Heroin Abuse and Depression: Factors Associated with Depression

Uncovering the causes of depression is one of the most challenging aspects of recovery for heroin users. Depression is much more than a low mood. It is a incapacitating mental illness that can lead to isolation, job loss, broken relationships, poor physical health and an increased risk of suicide. Depression can arise from a number of sources, including:

Treating a Dual Diagnosis of heroin addiction and depression is especially difficult if the individual is still under the influence of the drug. Many of the symptoms of opiate addiction fatigue, self-isolation, poor concentration and weight loss can resemble the symptoms of major depressive disorder.

According to a study published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence followed 615 heroin users in various stages of treatment or non-treatment. In the study it was established that a quarter of the subjects were currently experiencing a major depressive episode. While about twenty-six percent of the individuals in treatment had a lifetime history of depression and 16 percent of those who weren’t in treatment had been depressed. In the treatment group, a significant number of clients were also diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. Others were living with a life-altering physical disability. In many of these cases, heroin was used as a maladaptive way to numb physical or psychological pain.

In long-term heroin users, it can be nearly impossible to determine whether depression led to addiction or the other way round. A comprehensive treatment plan must give equal attention to both conditions.

The Relationship between Heroin Abuse and Depression: Depression and Heroin Withdrawal

In the journey to recovery among many addicts, relapse is often very common among many heroin users who try to quit this highly addictive drug. The unpleasant side effects of heroin withdrawal can drive even the most determined individuals back to the drug. Heroin withdrawal usually isn’t life-threatening, however, heavy users may have dangerous seizures if they try to quit without medical supervision.

Finally physical symptoms of heroin withdrawal can feel like a severe case of the flu, but for many users, the psychological side effects are even harder to tolerate. In the first few days, weeks or even months after quitting heroin, users may feel extremely depressed. Once the brain comes to rely on the euphoric rush of a heroin high, the pleasures of everyday life may seem meaningless in comparison. A condition called anhedonia, or lack of pleasure, often develops in recovering heroin addicts. One of the primary goals of treatment is to help the addict find peace, hope and joy in a drug-free life.

The Relationship between Heroin Abuse and Depression: Exposing the Health complication they represent

 

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Heroin Addiction and Cost of treatment

Heroin Addiction and Cost of treatment: The Economic constrains

Heroin Addiction and Cost of treatment

Heroin Addiction and Cost of treatment. the cost may be high but treatment must still be done and proper follow up done to recovering patients.

Are you surprised that the addiction on heroine is ever on the increase? We spoke to doctor Dalal Akoury a renowned addiction medical expert who is the MD and founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center about this and she is going to help us in understanding some of the concerns we have about heroin addiction and cost of treatment. She begins by noting that heroin addiction has experienced rebirth in recent years. This is alluded to the fact that this drug has become easily accessible and affordable to many people. Besides that its close similarity to some prescription opioids is not helping in solving the problem. Blended from morphine, the drug takes literally no time at all to catch the consumers in an addictive circle in which they basically play Russian roulette with their lives. Even though the US is one of the states hosting the largest concentrations of heroin addicts globally, it is estimate that some many nations across the globe are over equally experiencing a great effect of heroin addiction. In brief “the problem is now a global one and time has come when we all need to pool together to help where we can” says doctor Akoury.

Heroin is often mixed or “cut” with other ordinarily benign substances, although heroin abuse in its purest form is becoming increasingly common. It is not uncommon for users to graduate to heroin from other drugs. They will start taking heroin and experience immediate euphoria. Use will continue in an effort to experience that same feeling. Since the feeling is rarely emulated, users up their dose. Before they know it, they’re addicted and caught in a dangerous and costly pattern of behavior.

Heroin Addiction and Cost of treatment: The process of Heroin intake

Ordinarily heroin can be injected, smoked, or snorted. Even though majority of the users prefer it, being injected due to the instant or rapid results. This method of injection has been associated with other dangerous infections owing to the use of untidy syringes. Like for instance this method has been closely linked to the contraction of HIV from shared needles among the escalating number of users. It is however regrettable that very little or no attention is paid to sterility, and the user sometimes gets infected without realizing it until when it is too little too late. At the point of realization, the impact of the damage is so severe that very little can be done to remedy the situation. Doctor Akoury advices that heroin addicts should be treated first from both their addiction and any other complications that may have come with this condition before they are charged in the court of law.

Heroin Addiction and Cost of treatment: Physical and Mental Effects of Heroin Addiction

Irrespective of the usage method one uses to take in heroin, the effects are very bad. With every admission of heroin into the body, the user is automatically and significantly increasing their chances of contracting chronic health complications including heart failure, respiratory failure, bacterial infections, brain damage, and a variety of other deadly conditions. Besides these the addicts are also likely to suffer from other symptoms like blood pressure complications, coma, convulsions, seizures, muscle spasms, weak pulse, etc. in other words there is nothing good in taking heroin let alone being addicted to it. Just to show you that there is nothing good in this drug listen to this, those abusing this drug will also experience significant risks of psychological nature which are associated with heroin addiction.

The experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center are working round the clock to bring some serenity to the addicts and if you or anyone you know is struggling with this addiction, then you can schedule for an appointment with doctor Akoury or be the point of reference for your friends and together we will make enormous progress in healing the world of this addictive drug. In the meantime, it will interest you to know that at this facility we offer psychiatric therapy whenever it is recommended to patients but even before we get there, the most important thing is that you need to be willing to be helped for all the treatment procedures to work. Being in denial is the biggest hindrance of breakthrough in heroin addiction recovery.

Heroin Addiction and Cost of treatment: The Best Way to Achieve Lasting Recovery from Heroin Addiction

Freedom from heroin addiction often comes at a very high price. This is called the withdrawal process. Just like we have indicate, attempting to detox your-self or go cold turkey from a heroin addiction can have fatal results such as heart attack, stroke, seizures, coma, or death. It is therefore necessary that patients seek for help from a licensed medical detox center (AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center) to begin healing from heroin addiction. The National Alcohol and Substance Abuse Information Center (NASAIC) maintains a continuously updated national database of heroin addiction treatment centers in your local area, as well as the leading recommended heroin addiction treatment centers in the United States and around the world. You now have a wide pool to choose from but be courteous to go for only the best for the best result.

Heroin Addiction and Cost of treatment: Low Cost Drug Rehab

The economical constrain is one of the most common impediments to addiction treatment; nevertheless, there are many low cost options of what people can take advantage. Everyone, regardless of their financial status, needs professional help for their drug addiction. This avenue of treatment makes it possible. It is regrettable that on annual basis many become casualties of their addiction because they don’t have the resources to get the much needed to overcome their drug addiction. The matter is even complicated with the sale of or distribution of drugs to many lower-income areas, where many people only started using drugs to try and escape the depressing realities of their environments. Statistically the vicious cycle of poverty and addiction is always largest in the large urban centers of most states. We appreciate what the many governments are doing to supplement for those who do not have insurance or money, majority of these programs often luck sufficient funding’s to hire the best medical staff, and are missing critical components of traditional therapy. Probably that could be the reason why we are seeing so many patients translates relapsing in relation to the better-funded, privately owned drug rehab facilities. Doctor Akoury says that irrespective of your financial position, your life is very important and total recovery is possible if you are determined for it. You can talk to her for any concern you have and she will be able to help you accordingly.

Heroin Addiction and Cost of treatment: The Economic constrains

 

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Avoiding Overindulgence in Eating for better health

Avoiding Overindulgence in Eating for better health: Mindful eating tips for better health

Avoiding Overindulgence in Eating for better health

Avoiding Overindulgence in Eating for better health

Food is very instrumental in human life. The truth is it is one of the basic needs and the very important one. Without food there will be no life. It has a way for uniting people after long day’s work or taking time out as a team retreating for team building. We are all in agreement that food is very essential. However avoiding overindulgence in eating for better health is equally very important and that is what we want to discuss in this article. Because food is very essential, we must enjoy it to the fullest to get the pleasure and life we need from it. Nonetheless as we enjoy eating, we must be careful not to overindulge or consume without thinking of the consequences that can come with over eating on our health. Therefore we must be mindful of how we eat lest we cause problems to ourselves. Doctor Akoury is sharing some mindful eating tips that will help you in avoiding overindulgence in eating for better health.

Avoiding Overindulgence in Eating for better health: Understanding what mindful eating is

It is good to appreciate what we are discussing first by understanding what it really means to us. I would define mindful eating as a practice where food is taken or consumed slowly and willfully without any interference. It helps you learn to taste and appreciate your meals while listening to your body so you become aware of the signals that inform you when you are full. This will enable you to consume only necessary portions and in return keeping distance to overweight and obesity. By making your meals a time when you sit down and really focus on your food, you can re-tune your taste buds and rediscover a love for healthy eating while moderating your portion size. Mindful eating could be the key to changing your relationship with food forever while achieving better health.

Avoiding Overindulgence in Eating for better health: Mindless eating and how it happens

When we talk of mindful eating there must as well be the direct opposite. It is no wonder the advent of modernization is quickly changing our feeding habits. Eating has become something we do while on the move or concentrating on other tasks. This is what I define as mindless eating because, when we are distracted, we don’t taste what we are eating and don’t appreciate the signals the body is sending alerting us of when we have had enough to eat. To understand this concept better, the following are some of the prime examples of mindless eating:

  • Eating lunch at your desk while rushing to meet a deadline
  • Grabbing breakfast on the go while travelling to work
  • Eating while watching TV or using social media
  • Reading at the table

Often, we are not even aware of what we are eating and then wonder how we fell into unhealthy eating habits. The consequence of this confusion can be life threatening owing to the chronic nature of health complications associated with weight gain. With all these facts if mindless eating not checked, it can lead to health issues like diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. However with mindful eating, you can take control, improve your health and really enjoy your food.

Avoiding Overindulgence in Eating for better health: Benefits of Mindful eating

It can take time to get into the routine of eating mindfully, but the rewards are numerous. The following just some of the benefits to be gained from mindful eating:

  • Appreciation of nutritious food
  • Through this you are able to prevent weight gain and obesity
  • Positive changes in eating habits
  • Regulation of portions – quality over quantity
  • Eliminate bingeing and emotional eating
  • Improved body awareness
  • Easier to maintain good health
Avoiding Overindulgence in Eating for better health: How to eat mindfully

It may look quite obvious but you are wrong if that is your perception. Mindful eating is a process and takes time therefore for those who are new to the concept, it may be appropriate to try it when you are not in a hurry or in in any undue pressure of any kind so that you are able to take your time with your meal. Because this is very important, let me give you some of the guidelines for you to achieve on this assignment:

  • For full concentration turn off the TV, phone and all electronic devices and if you are a bookworm then put all the reading material aside.
  • Use a timer and set it for 20 minutes. Aim to take at least this long to eat your meal.
  • Take a few moments to enjoy the sight of the food on your plate. As the saying goes “The first bite is with the eye” so take it all in.
  • Smell your food. Enjoy the aromas and try to analyze the ingredients with your nose. Is your mouth watering yet? So far, so good.
  • Take your first bite, but don’t swallow it straight away. Chew slowly and savor your food. How does it taste? What ingredients can you identify?
  • Put your fork down between each mouthful and don’t pick it up again until you are ready for the next.
  • Be aware of your body signals. Once you feel full, stop eating.

Over time you will get used to eating mindfully and when this is achieved you will be less likely to eat in large quantities because you are eating in the moment without distractions. Mindful eating helps you to appreciate good food in small quantities over bad food in large quantities. With mindful eating, there are no forbidden foods because everything is enjoyed in moderation.

Avoiding Overindulgence in Eating for better health: Mindful eating exercises

Finally just like in all things practice makes perfection and mindful eating is not left out. The following are some of the take a ways you can practice for the perfection of mindful eating:

  • Instead of using a plate with a big circumference, take something small like a raisin, peanut, grape or pea. Eat it in tiny bites, fully analyzing how it looks, tastes, smells and feels.
  • Take a food item you normally feel guilty about eating and eat it mindfully. Did it taste as good as you anticipated? Did it make you feel as good as you expected? If the experience fell short of your expectations it may help you to shake off your emotional attachment to that food.
  • Take not of being conscious of every food choices you make throughout the day. There are more than you think.
  • Make a list of foods you really enjoy eating mindfully. Make another list of foods you find you don’t enjoy so much and eliminate them from your diet. As you become more attuned to your taste buds, you will find yourself choosing tasty, nutritious food and cutting out foods that are high in calories and low on taste.
  • Eat with your non-dominant hand. It takes longer to eat and discourages mindless eating.

Avoiding Overindulgence in Eating for better health: Mindful eating tips for better health

 

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