Mindfulness: Does it really work?

Well…yes, mindfulness really does work! In fact, science shows clearly defined health benefits for individuals who make mindfulness and meditation a core part of their wellness routine.

Before we dive into this topic, let’s make sure we’re on the same page when we refer to mindfulness and meditation.

Meditation is the ancient practice of connecting the body and mind to become more self-aware and present. It’s often used to calm the mind, ease stress, and relax the body.

Practicing mindfulness is one of the most popular ways to meditate. It’s defined as “paying attention in a particular way, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally.”

Mindfulness meditation is well studied in terms of its health benefits. I’ll share a few of those benefits below, and I’ll be referring to it as mindfulness for the rest of this post.

Mindfulness + wise health choices = stress reduction

Have you heard the staggering statistics on how many doctors’ visits are due to stress? Seventy-five to ninety percent! So, it makes a ton of sense that anything that can reduce stress can also reduce health problems.

Mindfulness helps reduce inflammation, decrease levels of the stress hormone cortisol, and improve sleep. All of these factors can positively impact your physical and mental health.

First, however, let’s look at the research in three main areas: mood, weight management, and gut health. Keep in mind, though, that the research on the health benefits of mindfulness is revealing much more about its impact on many other exciting new areas of wellness.

Mindfulness for mood

The most immediate health benefit of mindfulness is improved mood.

In one study, participants went through an 8-week mindfulness program and were compared with other participants who took a stress management program that did not include mindfulness. The study showed that participants in the first group experienced a more pronounced improvement in their symptoms, based on the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAM-A). The HAM-A is one of the first rating scales created to test the intensity of anxiety symptoms, and it measures psychic and somatic anxiety levels. Mindfulness training was key to lowering symptoms in the more successful group.

Other studies show that mindfulness is equally effective as antidepressant medications for some people with mild to moderate symptoms of depression.

While mindfulness isn’t a full-fledged cure, it can certainly help to improve your mood.

Mindfulness for weight management

Studies show that people who use mind-body practices, including mindfulness, have a lower body mass index (BMI). Body mass index is a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to adult men and women.

How can this be?

One way that mindfulness is linked to lower weight is due to its ability to reduce stress. Being mindful can help decrease stress-related and emotional overeating; hence, the less you eat, the less weight you have to manage. Mindfulness can also help reduce cravings and binge eating.

Mindful eating is another way that mindfulness can help us keep our weight under control. Mindful eating is described as a “non-judgmental awareness of physical and emotional sensations associated with eating.” It’s the practice of being more aware of all aspects of food (taste, smell, sight) as well as the actual process of eating. It’s about listening more deeply to how hungry (or full!) you actually are. It’s not allowing yourself to be distracted by other concerns–such as your phone, TV, or tablet–while you’re eating.

People with higher mindfulness scores also reported eating smaller serving sizes of energy-dense foods. It looks like the more we practice mindful eating, the less junk food we’re like to consume.

Mindfulness for gut health

Recent studies show a link between stress, stress hormones, and changes in gut microbes (your friendly bacteria and other critters that help your digestion). In theory, mindfulness-based stress reduction could be a way to help prevent negative changes in the gut’s microbes.

Also, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) seems to be linked to both stress and problems with gut microbes. In one study, people with IBS who received mindfulness training showed greater reduction in IBS symptoms than the group who received standard medical care.

The research is starting to show us how mindfulness can help strengthen the important link between stress and gut health.

Relaxing herbal teas for your mindfulness practice

Relaxing herbal teas are great additions after you complete your mindfulness meditation. Steep any of these in boiling water:

• Green tea (has a bit of caffeine, or you can choose decaffeinated green tea);
• White tea (also has a bit of caffeine, or you can choose decaffeinated white tea);
• Rooibos tea;
• Peppermint tea (or steep fresh peppermint leaves); and
• Ginger tea (or steep slices of real ginger)

Serve & enjoy!

Tip: Add a touch of honey to your tea, if you so desire.

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meditation

https://nccih.nih.gov/health/meditation/overview.htm

https://authoritynutrition.com/mindful-eating-guide/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3341916/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4454654/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26186434

Is mindfulness part of your daily wellness regimen? If so, have you seen any benefits to incorporating mindfulness? Let me know in the comments below!