Mindful eating is important for all of us who want to be healthy, but it is even more important for people with diabetes.  I was pleasantly surprised when I received the latest copy of Diabetes Self-Management magazine and noticed “The Benefits of Mindful Eating” on the cover.  The article described the research that has been conducted on the effects of meditation and other mindfulness practices on stress, anxiety, healthy-related quality of life, and hemoglobin A1C, a measure of blood glucose control.

It reported that a few studies have now demonstrated that people with diabetes who complete an 8 week mindfulness-based program can significantly reduce emotional symptoms which often trouble people who are trying to manage a chronic disease and show improvements on biological markers of their disease.  One small study conducted in 2007 even reports that people who did not change their diets, level of physical activity, or medication, but did practice meditation for 8 weeks, had improvement in their blood glucose control.

Anecdotally, I had a friend with diabetes who took a weekly meditation class with me for years and she would check her levels right after the class.  She said that her levels were better after meditation than any other time that she would check.

If you have diabetes or are just interested in being more mindful about how you eat, join me for 10 week mindfulness-based intuitive eating program designed to help you have a healthier relationship to your food and your body.  We are starting soon, so if you are interested, register TODAY!!

Here is the link to register for the online class which starts Friday, May 30, but you need to register by Friday, May 23. You take the class on your own time but you have practices and readings to do each week that relate to a particular theme. Email me if you are interested in the in-person class in Columbia, Missouri, which starts May 27 (RossyL at umsystem.edu).

Now take a deep breath and feel your body from head to toe before you proceed to the next activity of your day.  May you be mindful!