According to Harvard Health Publications, Harvard Medical School, indeed, it can!
“Researchers describe mindful eating as a nonjudgmental awareness of the physical and emotional sensations associated with eating. They developed a questionnaire to measure mindful eating using these behaviors:
- Eating even when full (disinhibition)
- Being aware of how food looks, tastes and smells
- Eating in response to environmental cues, such as the sight or smell of food
- Eating when sad or stressed (emotional eating)
- Eating when distracted by other things
The researchers found that people who practiced yoga were more mindful eaters according to their scores. Both years of yoga practice and number of minutes of practice per week were associated with better mindful eating scores. Practicing yoga helps you be more aware how your body feels”.
Furthermore, yoga can also help in losing weight.
“Researchers found that people who practiced yoga for at least 30 minutes once a week for at least four years, gained less weight during middle adulthood. People who were overweight actually lost weight. Overall, those who practiced yoga had lower body mass indexes (BMIs) compared with those who did not practice yoga. Researchers attributed this to mindfulness. Mindful eating can lead to a more positive relationship with food and eating.”
On top of that, yoga might help create a better body image.
“Surveys have found that those who practiced yoga were more aware of their bodies than people who didn’t practice yoga. They were also more satisfied with and less critical of their bodies. For these reasons, yoga has become an integral part in the treatment of eating disorders and programs that promote positive body image and self-esteem.”
You can read more about other yoga’s “Benefits Beyond the Mat” here.
Interested in trying yoga? You are always welcome to contact us by calling on 01932 880712, or emailing at holistichealingtherapyuk@gmail.com – we will be happy to answer any of your questions! Or you can also pop into one of our weekly classes in East Molesey and Cobham, Surrey – you can find the schedule for our upcoming classes here.
