In recent years, we have been hearing more and more about MINDFULNESS, a word that may seem complex but which, in reality, refers to something very simple: learning to be present, here and now, with attention and without judging ourselves. This approach has been brought into the scientific field mainly thanks to the work of Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction programme, who has spread the practice of mindfulness in medicine and psychology.
But mindfulness is not just meditation, it is a different way of experiencing everyday life, making us more aware, including our relationship with food.
We often eat without realising it: in front of the television, while we are working, when we are nervous or bored. We eat automatically. Mindfulness invites us to pause for a moment and ask ourselves: "What kind of hunger am I really feeling?"
Because there is no single type of hunger.
There is physical hunger, the real hunger of the body. It comes on gradually: your stomach growls, you feel tired, you may find it harder to concentrate. When we are physically hungry, we do not need a specific food: any food that truly nourishes us is fine. This is the hunger that our body asks us to listen to and respect.
Then there is emotional hunger. This does not come from the stomach, but from emotions. It can appear suddenly after a stressful day, an argument or a moment of sadness. It often drives us towards specific foods, “comfort foods” such as sweets or snacks, and after eating, it can leave us feeling guilty. In these cases, food is not what we really need: perhaps we need rest, comfort or simply a break.
There is also mental hunger, made up of thoughts and inner rules: “It's lunchtime, I have to eat”, or “I shouldn't eat this”. It is the critical voice that judges us or imposes rigid patterns on us. It is not the body speaking, but the mind.
Finally, there is sensory hunger, which arises from the senses: the smell of warm bread, the sight of an inviting dessert, an advertisement. We do not start from a physical need, but from an external stimulus.
Mindfulness does not tell us what to eat and does not impose rules. Rather, it teaches us to pause between impulse and action. Even just three deep breaths before starting to eat can help us better understand what is happening inside us.
Learning to distinguish between different types of hunger does not mean controlling yourself more, but listening to yourself better. It means treating yourself with greater kindness, stopping fighting with food and starting to recognise your real needs.
It all starts with a simple gesture: stopping and paying attention to the present moment.
(Article by Dr. Della Bianca Maddalena)
