Many of us have found ourselves in front of the television with a bag of popcorn on our lap and before we know it, the entire bag is gone. In our fast-paced world, it can be easy to get distracted and end up overeating… sometimes without even realizing it. You may have heard the terms “mindful” or “intuitive” eating practices, which have recently been studied as potential strategies to combat mindless eating.

In this episode of DataDish: Your Trusted Serving of Science, we talked with Heather Caplan, RDN. Besides being an expert in mindful and intuitive eating, Heather is a registered Dietitian, running coach and yoga teacher in the Washington, D.C., area. She also hosts a podcast called RD Real Talk, where she and her guests share their expertise on intuitive eating and non-diet approaches to nutrition.

Here is a taste of what you can expect in this episode of the DataDish podcast:

• Differences between mindful and intuitive eating: Heather helps us tease out the differences between the two approaches, while diving into the history of these nutrition movements.
• The Principles of Intuitive Eating: There is more to intuitive eating than a hunger scale. Heather breaks down the 10 principles of intuitive eating, and explains how listeners can implement these strategies as part of their daily routine.
• Tuning in to hunger cues: Kiss “hanger” goodbye with Heather’s tips to tune into your body’s hunger cues. Listeners will learn how to avoid the extremes of hunger, both becoming incredibly hungry or overfull.
• The tenets of mindful eating: Tuning into your hunger cues is just one side of the equation. Heather covers the basics of mindful eating, which include tuning into all of the sensory aspects of a meal or snack.
• Real-world tips for mindful eating: According to the 2016 Food and Health Survey, over a third of Americans spend less than 15 minutes eating dinner on an average weekday. Luckily, there are simple tips that can help you eat more mindfully, even when you’re strapped for time. Heather shares some tips that have helped even her busiest clients eat more mindfully.  
• The latest on binge eating disorder: Heather shares new insights on binge eating disorder research, and how intuitive eating has been used as a tool to treat disordered eating.
• The limits of mindful and intuitive eating research: Like most approaches to nutrition, mindful and intuitive eating may be more effective for some individuals than others. Heather discusses gaps in the current research and common misconceptions about these approaches.

Happy listening! We know you will enjoy hearing Heather’s expert take on mindful and intuitive eating as much as we did.