Healthy Eating | Devon Hiking Spa

Mindful Eating Tip

At Devon Hiking Spa, you will learn many tips and tricks for how to eat more mindfully. For example, at one meal, we will practice placing our silverware down between each bite of food. Doing so forces us to slow down and savor the flavors and textures of the food.

Do you prefer sweet or tart flavors? Do you prefer crunchy or creamy textures? Once you discover which flavors and textures are most satisfying, we encourage you to consciously incorporate those flavors and textures into your meals and snacks. Doing so will allow you to experience more pleasure and satisfaction from the food that you consume.

In addition, placing your silverware down between bites of food slows down the consumption process. Eating quickly encourages overeating because it takes at least 20 minutes for your brain to recognize that your body is full. When you eat slowly, you allow your brain an opportunity to receive the fullness signal. As a result, you are likely to notice that you require less food than you anticipated.

The food that you eat directly affects your mood, your energy levels, your ability to concentrate, your mental acuity, and your athletic performance. Consequently, healthy eating can improve your physical and mental well-being.

Devon Hiking Spa does not believe in a one-size-fits-all approach to "diet." Because each of us is unique and our dietary requirements differ, we give you the tools to help you make the best possible choices. Instead of the spa dictating what goes on your plate, you choose what you want to eat, while learning to eat mindfully.

We provide you with sound nutrition information, based on scientific research, and we empower you to create a food plan that works for you. We believe that you are your own best expert because only you can determine which foods are most satisfying, which foods cause discomfort, and when you experience hunger and fullness. Our goal is to bring your attention to the foods that you choose to nourish your body, and to increase your awareness of how your body responds to the nutrition that you provide.

Each day at Devon Hiking Spa, we consume all three meals as a group. We eat breakfasts at our host hotel, lunches on the hiking trails, and dinners at excellent nearby restaurants. Whether your goal is weight loss or fueling your workouts, you can choose from a variety of nutritious and delicious foods in the amount that you personally require.

Our program includes interesting lectures on a variety of nutrition-related topics, such as quick and easy meal planning, the psychology of eating, behavior modification, fad diets, and controversial issues in nutrition. In addition, we offer an interactive supermarket tour for those interested in learning simple, effective guidelines to follow in order to make the best possible choices in the grocery store.

At Devon Hiking Spa, registered dietitians are available for individual nutrition consultations. This optional "spa service" is designed to help you create your own individualized take home plan for healthy eating. Whether you are interested in increasing your energy levels, controlling your weight, preventing disease, or maintaining your general health and well-being, a registered dietitian helps you create a practical, balanced food plan that meets your needs. First, you tell the dietitian about your goals and your lifestyle. Then, the dietitian calculates your individual dietary needs based on your gender, height, weight, age, and the amount of physical activity in which you engage. Next, you work with the dietitian to personalize a meal plan that fits your lifestyle, addresses your concerns, and allows you to reach your goals.

If you are interested in weight loss, we can help you achieve your goal. Instead of creating an artificial atmosphere where you are forced to consume a very low calorie diet, we will provide you with the necessary tools to make gradual but significant dietary modifications that you can use to transform your life. Ours is not a program that you are "on" and then "off." We are committed to helping you shed pounds permanently in the healthiest, most-effective way, which is gradually. Diets don't work. Gradual changes are the only changes that work for the long term.