Eating is a daily ritual, a repeated act that arguably takes the forefront in the routine of our lives. However, due to its frequency, we often overlook its profound significance. While awareness about the types of foods and portion control is growing, the manner in which we consume these foods tends to be overlooked. Today, we shift our focus from what to eat to how to eat.
Eating may seem like an instinctive act, something that doesn’t require any instruction. It’s true that we are born with the ability to sense hunger and seek nourishment. Babies, in particular, exemplify the flawless operation of the hunger and satiety mechanism. Unfortunately, as we grow older, the act of nourishing ourselves transitions from a primal need to an obligation often relegated to the bottom of the daily to-do list.
This downgrading of priority often results in untimely and mindless eating, done hastily between tasks without regard for hunger. When food becomes a mere task, it’s a clear sign to pause and reestablish its importance as a cornerstone of our health.
The first step to enhance our eating habits is acknowledging and being convinced that nutrition is vital and deserves our attention. Once we have this clarity, we can carve out a real space for it in our lives. Allocating time for meals involves recognizing that we need time for four processes: planning, shopping, preparation, and consumption. In this article, we’ll delve into the latter aspect – the moment of consumption.
In the rush of daily life, we often eat hastily, with our minds elsewhere, preoccupied with upcoming tasks or pressing concerns. Improving our eating experience involves halting our activities to eat consciously. Eating allows us to engage at least four of our senses: taste, smell, touch, and sight. Concentrating on the aroma, flavor, and texture of our food makes it easier to eat slowly, derive greater enjoyment from our meals, and detach from the daily whirlwind.
Eating more slowly and activating our senses also promotes accurate identification of hunger and satiety signals, reducing impulsive and uncontrolled eating. It becomes easier to decide when to stop eating, satisfied rather than overly full.
Furthermore, engaging all our senses while eating provides a psychological experience of our meals, not just a physical one. If most or all of our daily meals are quick and mindless, it’s likely that when we return home at night or have leisure time over the weekend, our minds will crave food urgently, lacking the memory of having eaten before.
To conclude, we recommend a practical way to implement these suggestions. Choose one meal during the day when you can ensure time and space for mindful consumption. Let all your senses awaken during this meal, focusing on eating slowly and savoring the food. Practice this exercise for a week and observe the effects. You’ll likely experience changes that gradually encourage you to restore the importance meals truly deserve.
