Learning

Ring in Freedom by Savoring Your Food!

by Karen Schachter, contributing editor
http://www.dishingwithyourdaughter.com

Did you celebrate the 4th of July with fireworks, a barbeque with friends and family, or another party of some kind? Did your healthy eating take a day off along with you?

July 4th, like most holiday celebrations, are riddled with traps and temptations to overeat and nosh on food that may taste good but may not be good for our health! And oftentimes, right alongside the food (or maybe the day after), there’s a big bucket of guilt along with it!

We all want freedom with food — to be free to enjoy our food without feeling “restricted” or deprived; yet at the same time, we want to be our most vibrant, healthy selves, which means our bodies need real food instead of packaged and additive-laden junk! This IS possible, but it may come from shifting your mindset, and some of your behavior, in order to “have your cake and eat it too” and have TRUE freedom with food: delicious food that nourishes your body and mind.

  1. Remember, you don’t need to have an all or nothing attitude! Just because you have a hamburger or hot dog at the barbeque, doesn’t mean you also have to “throw in the towel” and load up your plate with an endless supply of macaroni salad, ice cream and chips! Choose the foods that really call to you and enjoy them guilt free.
  2. Keep in mind that when you see large quantities of food laid out on the table, you may automatically be driven to eat more. Choose your favorites and put smaller portions on your plate. (And don’t stand and chat by the buffet table — before you know it, your hand is reaching mindlessly for another handful of chips!)
  3. When you eat, EAT. This means that when you are doing 10 things at once — talking with friends, keeping an eye on the kids, watching the fireworks, AND eating — you are actually not really tasting your food. When you’re not present to eating, your brain “forgets” that its eaten, and will want more food to compensate. One of the best ways to cut down on overeating is to focus on what you’re eating while you eat it.
  4. Slow down there, speedy! Your body and brain need time to digest what you’re eating! When you eat too quickly (and in a stressed state), you shortchange not only your enjoyment of your meal, but also your digestion, metabolism and absorption of key nutrients! Instead, sit down, put your fork down between bites, and savor each and every bite you take!

The first step in experiencing true freedom from the food fight comes when you begin to shift from a fast and furious and guilt-ridden relationship with food to a slow, pleasurable and nourishing one. In psychological terms, savoring your food (and really, anything you do!) enhances the positive feelings you get from that meal by using all 5 of your senses to notice, appreciate and elongate the experience.

You can practice this simple (but not easy) technique at home, so it becomes second nature by the time your next party rolls around. Here’s how: remove the distractions so you can really pay attention to the food you’re eating; use all five senses to eat: use your eyes to appreciate how the strawberry looks, use your sense of smell to enjoy its aroma for a moment, as you bring it up to your mouth; then feel the texture (ahh, the juiciness!) of it as it touches your tongue; listen to the soft crunch it makes as you bite into it; and really taste the sweet flavors that burst in your mouth as you are chewing it up.

This can be a family affair too! Discuss the importance of mindful eating and savoring you’re your kids! Instead of fighting over another bite of carrots, ask them what they notice, what they taste, and what their favorite food is during a meal. Make mealtime an experience that serves more than “good nutrition” but serves up a healthy dose of pleasure and fun, too!

By practicing the fine art of presence and savoring, you will be on track to experience not only true freedom with food, but greater health, enjoyment and wellbeing in the rest of your life as well!