Showcase of Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavors (SOURCE)

The Impact of Mindfulness and Mindful Eating Interventions on Stress and Overall Health

Mindfulness is a practice that emphasizes purposefully tuning into the present moment without judgement or attachment. The practice of mindfulness dates back thousands of years with roots in certain groups of religion and spirituality, including Buddhism and Hinduism. More recently, mindfulness practices have become popularized in the Western world and thus research in this area has increased greatly. Mindful eating can be a component of mindfulness and is an approach to eating that focuses on purposeful eating and awareness of senses and the eating process. Numerous research articles have established that mindfulness interventions and mindful eating practices can reduce self-reported stress levels, improve self-esteem, and reduce emotional eating. Research also suggests that the benefits of mindfulness extend beyond mental parameters and can improve metabolic health. These health benefits include regulation of blood glucose and diabetes management, highlighting the usefulness of a self-compassionate model of behavior and dietary change. This poster will review six articles to examine the efficacy of mindfulness and mindful eating interventions, on stress levels and overall health.