Savour It
When you’re on a diet, it can be very easy to get caught up in what you ‘should’ be doing and forget to take pleasure in the little things that make life worth living on a daily basis. So this week, we’re taking a step back and focusing on the wonder that is food. For many people food is associated with negative emotions like guilt, when in fact it’s a natural, important part of life. And we should be savouring it! It is possible to change your relationship with food and make it a positive one that can be enjoyed. And it really just starts with being present and being fully conscious.
What’s Your Flavour?
Human beings have about 10,000 taste buds, and each taste bud contains around 1,000 taste receptor cells, so it’s no wonder that food is an enjoyable experience for us. Scientific studies have established that there are five distinctly different taste sensations: sweet, sour, salty, bitter and savoury (also known by its Japanese term umami, which literally translates to delicious!) Your sense of taste also reacts to things like smell, texture and temperature. When you take the time to really enjoy your food, evidence shows you’re less likely to eat as much, and your brain is more likely to release feel-good chemicals which in turn elevate your mood and promote enjoyment and relaxation.
#NomNom
The next time you eat a meal, take the time to engage all of your senses in order to turn it into an experience.
Prepare it yourself
When everything you eat comes from a packet, it’s easy to become distanced from the joy that accompanies eating. Next time you prepare a meal, ditch the gadgets and get your hands dirty. Start by being 100% present when you choose the produce and the ingredients: realise how lucky you are to have such easy access to nutritious, healthy, delicious food, and enjoy the experiences that accompany the preparation of a meal. Take the time to appreciate the visual beauty of a cornucopia of fresh produce, pick up a tomato and feel its reassuring weight in your hands, brush dirt off the carrots, crush the herbs by hand and breathe in their exotic scents, smoosh your hands around in the dough the way your mum used to, and simply take pleasure in the sounds that accompany cooking: the sizzle of a hot pan, the clink of a sharp knife against a chopping board, the hearty sound that comes with grinding black pepper.
Take in the view
The old adage that you ‘eat with your eyes first’ holds true. Eating is an occasion, and you can tap into this by taking the time to make your meals a little more spesh. Set the table with beautiful crisp linens, light a couple of candles, and use your fine china. Food is beautiful to behold, and by taking the time to be grateful for the effort that went into producing it, you’re less likely to take it for granted.
Look forward to it
Part of the pleasure that comes with eating is the anticipation. As human beings, we’re accustomed to periods of fasting and feasting. And it’s natural to look forward to something enjoyable. While we often take the time to choose flavours we enjoy and foods we love to eat, sometimes when it comes down to the actual eating, we chow down with no delay. If you’ve chosen something carefully, then revel in actually enjoying it! Savour the anticipation, take pleasure in knowing you’re about to taste something you love, and then take the time to actually experience every bite properly.
Be grateful
Not everyone has such easy access to delicious, fresh, nutritious food. Your parents probably reminded you of this when you turned your nose up at Brussels sprouts as a ten-year-old, but as busy adults, we seem to have forgotten how to be mindful of, and thankful for, our food. In many cultures, it’s common for meals to be a celebration of nature’s bounty, and a feast is often accompanied by prayers, appreciation, and acknowledgement of all the work that’s gone into preparing it. You certainly don’t have to take a spiritual approach to every meal, but simply being aware of and grateful for your daily bread (or tuna salad) can go a long way to increasing your enjoyment.
Appreciate the smell
Scent is a large component of the sense we know as taste. (Some people claim that our olfactory senses contribute as much as 80% to our enjoyment of flavours!) Remember when you were a kid and you tried to taste things while holding your nose? Most researchers agree that your sense of smell plays a dominant role in your ability to taste and enjoy food. But when was the last time you really breathed in before you gobbled something down? Studies show that people who take the time to engage their sense of smell before chowing down are less likely to overindulge, and more likely to feel sated after a meal.
Savour every bite
Now that you’re ready to eat, enjoy it! Rather than just wolfing your meal down, take small bites, and challenge yourself to enjoy the texture of each bite, its temperature, flavour… and so on. Is the food crunchy, soft, warm, spicy? Engage all of those thousands of taste receptors and chew slowly. Dieticians recommend chewing each mouthful ten times. Remember, the feeling of ‘fullness’ or satiety that comes from eating is a result of your brain reacting to chemicals that are produced when you put food into your tummy (and thus energy into your body). It takes around 20 minutes for your brain to register these chemicals, so eating slowly is a good way to ensure you don’t overindulge. Your blood sugar levels and the hormone leptin (which is responsible for regulating hunger and telling you that you’re full) will continue to rise for the next ten-30 minutes, so you’ll often be full before you realise you are.
Enjoy the social aspects
Eating is a social occasion, it’s a chance to sit down with your nearest and dearest, break bread, share stories and laugh. So turn off the TV, put your iPhones on silent and fully engage in the communal side of eating. When it’s an occasion, you’re more likely to enjoy yourself, savour the food, enjoy the sounds, sights and smells and appreciate all that comes with a shared meal.
These little tips will help you to celebrate your plate, engage in all that food has to offer and appreciate the beauty of eating, fully. What are some of your top tips for eating, fully conscious? Share them in the comments or stop by the Members Facebook Group to let us know.