Monthly Theme: Eating
This week’s word is Savor
I cannot tell a lie. I love food. My sheer size is ample evidence to that fact. Problem is when I think about making healthier choices about eating I think that also means that I'm not allowed to enjoy food anymore. I convince myself that food that tastes good is bad for me.
In reality, I suspect that food isn't any different than anything else in life. Most things can be savored in moderation.
Try a little experiment with me. Grab a piece of your favorite food. Take a small bite. Roll it around in your mouth. Feel its texture against your cheek and tongue. Chew it slowly. Enjoy the flavor. If you feel the urge, say, ""Mmmmmmm."" Swallow. Now take a second bite and go through the same process. Is it as enjoyable as the first bite was? Why or why not? Now take a third bite and savor it. How does that one compare to the first and second bites? Some experts say that our tastes are dulled after the first three bites. Based on your experiment, would you agree?
Consider how this little experiment might affect your thoughts about various aspects and opinions related to food. How might it inspire a shift in how you savor food? Imagine what it might look like to maximize your enjoyment of food this week. What other experimentation might you be inspired to try?
Quote of the Week
Benefits of Eating Your Food Slowly
"Americans could use a tutorial on eating food slowly. In certain countries and cultures, a meal can last for hours. People sit around a table, whole extended families gathered, and they talk, eat and drink late into the evening. In the U.S., that just doesn’t happen. The average meal is 11 minutes long with some breakfasts and lunches lasting barely 2 minutes. But is eating fast a problem? Should we be concerned? The answer is “yes” and here are some of the reasons you should eat more slowly.
1. Taste Your Food
One obvious benefit of eating more slowly is that you will taste your food more. If you double the amount of time it takes you to eat a meal, you’ll experience more of the flavors, textures, and smells of the food you eat. Your food will become more interesting.
2. Lose Weight
While you are slowing down, you might find that you learn to stop eating sooner. You might notice that you are full and don’t need that extra bite. Studies show that ""fullness"" is a complex concept that combines the number of times you chew, the time you spend eating, the look of the food on the plate, as well as the actual amount of food you eat. Slow down and you may feel full with less.
3. Choose Better Foods
When you eat slowly, you end up tasting your food more. This is good because the more you pay attention to your foods, the more you will prefer natural, healthy foods. Here’s why: Most factories produced foods are carefully designed by food engineers to taste great for the first 3 or so bites. After that, the food begins to taste bland and uninteresting (if you don’t believe this, try eating a name-brand cookie for a minute). You feel an urge to eat another cookie or potato chip after just a few chews. If you slow down and be sure to chew thoroughly, these heavily processed foods will taste pretty disgusting (try chewing a potato chip 25 times...it gets real nasty). Natural foods, on the other hand, stay interesting as you chew them. A strawberry starts out with a burst of juice but then stays interesting as you chew. Oranges, nuts, and vegetables are the same.
4. Be More Social
Eating can be a social event. Meals are a time when people gather and spend time together. Once the meal is over, everyone goes their separate ways. By taking more time at a meal, you’ll be able to talk to your friends and family more, improve relationships and feel more connected.
5. Stop Before You’re Full
It takes your stomach about 20 minutes to produce the hormones that tell your brain that you are full. This process doesn’t start until your stomach begins to stretch. If you slow down, you give yourself more time to feel full. This gives you a better chance of stopping before you ‘get stuffed.’
Bonus: Improve Your Digestion
Eating slower gives your stomach more time to start working on the food. When you send an entire meal down your throat in 5 minutes, you may find yourself suffering from indigestion. Instead, take 20 minutes to eat the same amount of food. Your stomach will have a much easier job. Eating slower might also result in you chewing more, giving your stomach a head start in the digestive process."
Next Step
To practice mindful eating, try the SAVOR EATING MEDITATION FOR MINDFULNESS exercise at the link below using a raisin.
Further Information
"For a deeper dive on mindful eating, check out this 3 minute video featuring the seven practices of mindful eating with Lilian Cheung the author of the book Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life.
Have a GREAT week!
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