I’ll be honest – Deliveroo and UberEats may be on my “out of” list for 2023. No shade to any of the takeaway giants – they’re excellent at delivering nutrient-dense (and not so nutrient-dense) options when you’re short on time, but for me, last year’s end of year Christmas parties and at the office It was a whirlwind of late nights, which led to weekly takeout becoming a habit in our household.
While there’s nothing wrong with ordering in occasionally (a balanced diet is just that, after all — balance), I’ll be the first to admit that when I was ordering takeaway back in December, I was a mindless eater and often glued to the TV. Plus, while the apps both offer variety and healthier options (UberEats partners with more than 700,000 restaurants worldwide), we’re sticking to my veg-packed go-tos like Farmer J’s and Leon’s in time for the festivities. Wasn’t even thinking. The weather turned.
So, as a health editor, my interest was piqued when an email popped up in my inbox telling me that UberEats was taking steps to improve its health credentials through a new mindfulness tool.
Can fast food delivery and mindfulness really go hand in hand? Well, I was curious to find out, so contacted UberEats’ PR office to try it out.
Keep scrolling to see how I fared, plus what I really thought of the new addition, and don’t miss our guide to the benefits of meditation (opens in new tab)breathing training (opens in new tab) and conscious movement (opens in new tab)while you’re here
Health editor Ellie Head is practicing mindful eating after using the new UberEats Mindfulness Mouthful tool
(Image credit: Associate Chief)
I Tried Out UberEats’ New Mindfulness Feature — As a Health Editor, Here’s What I Thought
So, what’s the new mindfulness tool, you ask? Simply put, it’s an audio guide called “Mindful Mouthful” that’s designed to be played before you pour in your takeaway.
Narrated by radio DJ Roman Kemp and designed by mindfulness and meditation expert luke doherty (opens in new tab)Mindful Mouthful is an audio guide designed around mindfulness which the brand shares is “to bring people into a calm state before they eat.”
The concept of mindful eating has been around for a while – I wrote a guide to mindful eating (opens in new tab) Last year. Several studies have found that mindful eating can help with digestion, reduce stress, and even make your food taste better, yet research also shows that at least Less than 11% of people know exactly what to eat. Is,
In short, it describes a more intuitive way of eating – eating what feels good to you, appreciating what happens when you eat, and listening to your body.
“I like to think of intuitive eating as our default way of eating,” said the registered nutritionist and director of the London Center for Intuitive Eating. Laura Thomas (opens in new tab), “As infants and young children, we have a good sense of when we are hungry, what we want to eat, and how much we need to eat. We eat for pleasure: food gives us pleasure and we Our bodies get used to it.”
That said, those tendencies tend to get tamed as we grow up. “We hear adults around us talking about their diets, how they hate their bodies, and how they must restrict themselves in order to fit narrow body and beauty ideals.”
UberEats launched the initiative after research by Sensewide found that 74% of you admit to mindless eating habits, such as eating while standing (21%) and eating food straight from the fridge ( 23%).
81% of you also admitted to regularly scrolling on your phone while eating, and 68% said they continue to work while having breakfast, lunch or dinner (guilty) Huh.
So… did it work?
good question
Accessing the audio was very easy—I just opened the Spotify app on my phone, typed in “mindfulness mouthful,” and clicked play (if you want to give it a go, you can click above).
The audio is only ten minutes long but focuses on helping you relax. The theory is that if you’re paying attention to what your body and mind are feeling before you eat, you’ll be more mindful when you eat, preventing the risk of eating too quickly or potentially overeating. Would rather enjoy each mouthful.
I Was a Fan – Roman explains some simple steps to help you calm busy thoughts (what experts say “monkey mind“, when your mind jumps from thought to thought). Sitting on the couch, I focused on my breathing – I’ve done breathing training (opens in new tab) First and foremost it’s surprisingly effective at calming you down — and tapped into how my body was really feeling after a busy week at work.
When our food arrived, I ate more mindfully (we went for pastries from a local bakery and decided to walk a while to enjoy them, thanks largely to the audio). I took time to appreciate the taste, texture, and sensations instead of binge-watching TV.
I don’t listen to the audio every time I order takeaway, but I think it’s a great case of taking ten minutes each day to tune into your body and how you’re feeling. Are you stressed, tired or energized? Do you have any aches, pains or tension? and if so, what are some self-care tips (opens in new tab) Can you do this to make yourself feel more relaxed, calm and at ease? I’m a fan of going for a run or listening to sound bath audios on YouTube, and I know our senior beauty ed Shannon loves taking a bath.
Food for thought, anyway.
Mindful Mouthful is available to stream for free on all major streaming platforms including Spotify and Apple Music.
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