Do you enjoy eating?

When was the last time that you sat down and enjoyed a meal?


For some of us the answer is easy and as close as last night, but for way too many of us the answer is alot further away. Some are thinking back .....Christmas or maybe.... Thanksgiving? some are saying to themselves; "Have I ever really enjoyed a meal?"

                                                               
What makes a meal enjoyable? Sometimes it is the company; but many times it is the fact that we slowed down enough to enjoy it. We tend to live in a grab and run society. We wolf down our food and rarely take time to taste it. When you think back to those times you really enjoyed a meal; how did  it make you feel? How did it relate to your senses?  It seems like when we slow down and enjoy our food all our senses are used and engaged.
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ENJOY FOOD WITH ALL OF YOUR SENSES

As I attended chef school we often talked about you eat with your eyes first. It was a common saying in our class. This is true, as a chef we like to get the customers attention. But have you ever been disappointed by something that looked really good, but failed to deliver on flavor? My Grandma was a good cook, it did not always look "good enough to eat", yet it was tasty. What about smell? When the bakery wafts out the smell of fresh baked bread or cookies, how does your body feel, how do you react? What about the crunch of chips, or the smooth cold taste of ice cream?  Life is meant to be enjoyed. Food is meant to be enjoyed and used in the body, but too often we slurp it down with no real thought and no real enjoyment. Eating with all your senses (and doing it often) can lead to a good place in life.

EAT INTENTIONALLY

When we slow down and enjoy the food we eat there is something real that happens. First, we find the nutrition in the food. When we slow down and eat intentionally we tend to chew our food better. Food gets digested much better when it is chewed. We also tend to eat less. Have you ever sat down and ate the entire thing without even thinking, and you still felt hungry? When you sit down to eat a meal there is something that is triggered in the brain.When I started sitting down to meals, it was memorable; my brain would reset itself.  I used to snack about the day and yet my brain would tell me that I was hungry. It would send me signals that I hadn't eaten all day; and usually I had scarfed something else down before I realized that I had already been snacking all day.  I do not always take time to sit for meals, but I find that I do so much better when I do. It is becoming worth the effort for me and my family to sit down and enjoy meals together.


TAKE BACK YOUR LIFE!  ENJOY EATING AGAIN!

Put it to the test, Take time to enjoy your food. One person said she could enjoy desserts, she would just eat a small portion with her antique silver dessert spoon. It was small and dainty and it helped her to remember to take smaller bites. She would then savor each bite and enjoy dessert as an accompaniment to the meal and not the main dish. It worked for her. Focus on the food at mealtimes. Sit down to meals (even if it is only one meal a day). See if your body responds differently. It has worked for us. See what may happen in your own life.