Conscious Eating 101: Experts Tell You How This Method Helps You Get Fit and Fabulous

While searching for health hacks, you may have come across the term 'conscious eating' or 'mindful eating'. So, what do these very zen words actually mean? 

"Conscious-eating is the best and most effective way to change your eating habits. Before putting anything into your mouth, you have to be mindful and think about the impact those choices will have on health and wellbeing. We employ health food preparation techniques, which includes cooking techniques that preserve the quality of the nutrients in our cuisine," says Chef Sinchai’ Srivipa, executive chef, Chiva-Som.

So, being mindful about your meals includes chewing your food properly and slowly, not overeating and of course, not watching Netflix while eating! Experts believe that this practice helps you eat however much your body requires, cuts down the possibility of bingeing and results in a fitter you. 

So, we spoke to three celebrity chefs (who are around food allll the time) to find out how do they practice this fitness move:

Celebrity Chef Sanjeev Kapoor

"Being a chef, I am always around food. So, the concept of conscious-eating is important. I never deprive myself of any kind of food – if I want to eat something, I do, but always keep the portion sizes moderate. You need to understand the nutritional needs of your body and make choices based on them. And of course, following a proper workout schedule is always an add-on investment for your future! My suggestion is, make sure to pay attention to your food, eat mindfully and enjoy your food till the last bite!"

Celebrity Chef Amrita Raichand 

"I have always been a fan of conscious eating, despite being a serious foodie. I guess that is the reason I became a chef professionally when I realised the challenges of feeding healthy food to my son from the moment I started weaning him. I wanted to feed him healthy food without compromising on the taste which is what I specialise in. Healthy food should not be boring and neither should it be expensive. The hacks that I follow to execute my beliefs are simple techniques like “hide and seek” whereby I hide healthy ingredients in dishes and turn “junk into jewel” by using a little bit of creativity, some innovation and a lot of “Mummy Ka Magic!” This turns a simple dish into a very exciting one despite being packed with loads of nutrition!"

Chef Anahita Dhondy

"There’s no doubt that I love eating and I am constantly nibbling. But what I’ve realized over the years is that I have a certain pattern in which I eat, which is like every two hours. I make sure that I add a lot of fibre, nuts and vegetables in my diet. I eat wheat, flesh and I eat everything but most of my regular diet is 90 per cent vegetarian and one of the days would be non-vegetarian. So, I feel a plant-based diet is very healthy and good for you as well as the planet. Other than that, I feel eating small and every two hours helps you cut down your portions depending on your metabolism. You must make sure that your metabolism is high and running and you are on your feet and you’re eating something every two hours. That’s what I do and that’s what I recommend."