SKILLS AND LEARNING
Nikki Brierley Specialist Dietitian and CBT Therapist
Nikki has been a HCPC Registered Dietitian for eight years and more recently gained BABCP accreditation as a CBT Therapist. She currently works in a dual role within the Adult Community Eating Disorder Service at Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.
For full article references please email info@ networkhealth group.co.uk
MINDFULNESS AND NUTRITION Mindfulness is now a commonly used term and is a widely accepted method of dealing with the stresses and challenges of daily life. It also has the potential to reduce ‘mindless eating’ and positively affect eating behaviours and nutritional status. Mindfulness is a simple process; nevertheless, it can be difficult to define and there are many differing opinions about how it is best achieved and what purpose it serves. It is, however, accepted that mindfulness involves deliberately focusing attention on the present experience, in a non-judgemental manner and that this results in a state where there is an increased awareness of the emotional, mental and physical sensations being experienced in the moment.1 Figure 1 provides a simple overview of mindfulness in the form of a diagram. With a rich history, mindfulness appears to have originated and developed in Hindu and Buddhist traditions. However, following a specific religion is not a requirement of practicing
Figure 1: What is mindfulness?
Source: www.getselfhelp.co.uk/mindfulness.htm
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mindfulness and the process does not conflict with faith or scientific beliefs. The popularity of mindfulness in Western society, greatly increased after Jon KabatZinn recognised and researched the potential benefits in the clinical setting. There is now a large body of evidence that demonstrates the effectiveness of mindfulness in reducing psychological distress across a variety of conditions.1 THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS
The benefits of mindfulness are generally described as ‘conscious living’, in that the practice of mindfulness can allow individuals to detach from their thoughts and connect with the observing self (i.e. the part that is aware of, but separate from the thinking self). Learning and