“Try this: place a forkful of food in your mouth. It doesn’t matter what the food is, but make it something you love — let’s say it’s that first nibble from three hot, fragrant, perfectly cooked ravioli.
Now comes the hard part. Put the fork down. This could be a lot more challenging than you imagine, because that first bite was very good and another immediately beckons. You’re hungry.”
This is exercise in mindful eating as described in a recent piece in the NYT. The idea here is that it is relatively easy to plow through a meal in no time flat. The odds of this happening likely increase when: A) we’re super hungry; B) we’re eating something that tastes really good; C) we’re eating while distracted, such as in front of the TV; and D) any or all combination of the above.
Mindful eating, in contrast, involves savoring each bite of whatever it is that you’re eating. Chewing slowly, tasting and appreciating the flavors, textures, and colors of the food (note: if your food lacks flavor, texture, or color, you need to get some new food). Basically, the idea is to pay attention to your food as you consume it, to really enjoy it, and to not “tune out” or ignore what is happening while you’re eating.
Ultimately, there are many potential advantages to mindful eating. First, you might find that you gain greater enjoyment from your food when you eat mindfully. If you’ve ever wondered where the whole bag, jar, or box of something went (feeling that you don’t really remember eating or enjoying the whole thing), mindful eating might help you squeeze more of the pleasure that is associated with eating good food. Second, eating mindfully can also help one eat more slowly and listen better to the signals and feedback coming from his/her body. You might find it easier to recognize when your body tells you that you are no longer hungry or when you don’t feel so well after a large meal or a meal that contains lots of dairy or gluten. Together, mindful eating seems like a win-win all around.
Happy Monday.