Conscious Eating: Does it Matter?
by Matt O'Grady
Food equals so many things to so many people on this planet. Think about it: What is bread, rice or meat to someone who has not eaten in a few days? Or a week or two for that matter?
It is everything. It is the world. Their instincts tell them that they must eat and eat immediately. I remember hearing a story about Holocaust survivors being fed hard food too quickly when they were being rescued by troops and dying because their systems could not handle the military rations they were being fed by their rescuers.
However, here in America, as I watch other people eat you would think they have been starving! They look as if they have not seen food in days. A sandwich is gone in a minute. However, I can tell that they are not starving because they could probably live on their fat stores for weeks if not months! The amount of ‘scarfing’ that I see done in restaurants as I am eating out is pretty significant, and sometimes that person is me! I catch myself not paying attention to the food that I am putting into my body as sustenance, then I pause, become grateful that I even have food to eat and then begin to add in the different aspects of becoming conscious, which starts with grounding myself and noticing my breath pattern.
Hey, I am no skinny minny. I am 200 lbs on a good day, at only 5’ 10” so clearly I am not someone who does not enjoy my food, I really do. Actually I enjoy it much more when I am eating consciously and I have the added enjoyment of knowing that I am eating in a healthier way that will help my body digest more efficiently not too mention the emotional and psychological benefits of eating with some awareness. One thing I have learned over a long period of time of self observation is conscious eating and it has absolutely changed my life.
This is going to be the first blog post of a series I plan on writing about conscious eating.
Most people I talk to about this subject look at me like I have three heads, more often than not it seems to be the first time that they have really considered what it is to bring awareness to eating and for some of them it is the first time they are being introduced to consciousness on any subject.
Conscious eating in my personal definition, simply said is being conscious about what you are eating. However, before we can really even scratch the surface, we must have a definition of what I mean by the word ‘conscious’. For me the word ‘conscious’ in this context really means ‘Self-Awareness’. So I guess it could be called ‘Self Aware Eating’ but as I am sure you will you agree it just does not have the same ring to it!
So here is a short list of some of the aspects that I believe to be necessary in a ‘conscious eating’ experience.
- Being connected to the five senses as you eat. Seeing the colors of the food, smelling the aroma of the food one is eating, and yes! TASTING the food, feeling the texture of the food in your hands, on your fork and lips, in your mouth, on your tongue and teeth, and listening to the sound it makes as you chew it.
- Being aware of your body, your body language as it were, noticing how you are sitting or standing, as you eat. How you raise the fork or spoon to your mouth. How you cut your food, or move it around your plate or bowl, or how you peel it, crack it open or lift the glass or bottle to your mouth.
- Noticing the breath in the body at least for a few moments throughout the eating experience. As one of my teachers told me many years ago: “How you breathe, determines your life.”
- Being connected to the thoughts and emotions that you are experiencing as you eat, the awareness usually does all the change that is necessary.
- Staying aware through the swallowing process, as well as the tasting, texture, smell, sounds, chewing and tongue movement. Did you know that your food is actually being prepared for the stomach while in the mouth? Your saliva actually helps break down fat and starches and if you eat too fast you miss out on that fat processing benefit!
- Pacing yourself. The next time you eat, just eat normally but watch the speed at which you put food in your mouth, chew and swallow, for most people the whole process happens within seconds. Try picking up your fork slowly, watching intently as you use the fork to pick up the food, and then watching the food as you bring it up to your mouth. Before you have an even taken a bite a whole process is occurring! It has been known for many years that the brain does not know you are full until 10-15 minutes after you already are! This is a part of evolution that made sense 100,000 years ago when we did not know if we would be eating again for a days so we could fit more in our stomachs. Consider taking your time, enjoying your food, think about its nutritious value, its delicious taste, smell and texture.
- Having some idea about where your food is from, how it was grown and prepared and who is preparing it. I am a huge local, organic, natural food person, but I know in today’s world of eating out, is there anything wrong with asking a wait staff what kind of beef they are serving you or if the greens are local? Remember, it’s your body and it’s your $ that you are paying them to serve you. For me this is an important aspect of what the green palate is about. Putting the word out to your restaurants that you care about what you put in your body and you are going to hold the places you spend your $ at accountable for giving you the best quality food possible.
There are certainly more aspects involved with conscious eating such as being grateful, relaxed, and sharing, as well as all the different effects that it could have on the health of the planet, I will get into some of those in the next installment.
I know it may sound weird or different but I implore you to take a moment to consider what I am saying because I know without a doubt conscious eating can improve the quality of your eating experiences, your life, your health, and definitely help you lose weight if that is necessary for you. If anyone has conscious eating experiences or questions about it please let me know! Peace, love and Conscious Eating!
17 comments
Hi, Matt,
Great installment on “Conscious Eating: Does it Matter?” This evening I will make every attempt to become aware of my eating and try to utilize all of the aspects you mention in your writing. Thanks for the advice:-)
Wholesome Best,
Yvonne Dagger
Matt,
I loved your piece. You made many valid points.
My husband and I are the best customers in a restaurant. We shovel the food down and are gone in 15 minutes.
The next meal I have, I plan to slow down and apply some of your suggestions.
I enjoyed your blog, you are quite knowledgeable Professor Matt.
As someone who has dined with you countless times, Matt, I can certainly vouch that you are one of the slowest eaters that I know…and obviously with good reason.
I also know that you love your pork and cheese
Great stuff Matt. If more people were aware of their eating and breathing – stress and obesity levels would be a lot lower!
I have done something similar to this in the past. I found the whole experience exciting. My results where interesting in some cases the foods I thought I “loved” were in actuality very plain. And food that I thought was so-so was very complex and had more to offer me than I first thought. Your experiences will differ from mine but I am sure you will learn much about your food and yourself from this exercise. I think Matt for reminding us of taking the time to “be there”.
Thanks Matt! As always, your work is informative, insightful, and well written. I look forward to reading more!
I can’t believe I ate a whole bag of Doritos while reading your article.
NO … just kidding. You’re right, Matt The snags I hit in eating for healthfulness are when I am not paying attention. Thanks for a thorough and thought-full reminder.
Matt-
I couldn’t agree anymore with you that you being 200 pounds is a stretch. Not that I am one to talk.
I heard from your TV show, “Live it Up”, that drinking a delicious cup of Fair Trade and Organic Green Mountain Coffee before a meal can help alert your senses to a more pronounced dining experience….while also allowing for better digestion….just something to consider.
Keep up the blog!
GREAT article Matt. “Scarfing” has become normal here in the US….I am going to slow it down and really take time to enjoy what I eat. I remember I used to laugh at my father for eating so slow….He had it right…..: )
Matt, I can’t believe how much you were singing my song about not paying attention while eating. I have done that so much. Thank you for bringing that back to my awareness. It’s so important. Love you!
Matt, it’s certainly a good idea to remind people about conscious eating and its benefits, but I strongly feel that you should mention that it is an established tenet of many disciplines, most notably hatha (and other) yoga(s) and Buddhism, and not some new discovery. The wording in your post makes it seem as if you have “discovered” conscious eating (many of us do just that, at least from time to time, before we forget again and go back to mindless munching) but there is much wisdom and history behind the practice. I don’t think anyone can make a personal claim to this knowlege – I actually think there’s a bit of an ethical issue in doing that, on top of the point that it is incomplete reportage. And above all, it would be of service to your readers to lead them to further study, if they are interested.
Great article. As a SlowFoody I especially agree with #7. I think the more knowlege one has about the origin of their food and the process of preparing it the easier it is to feel a connection that inspires the other aspects of conscious eating.
What makes us ’scarf’ down our food? I guess it’s our fast paced world where everything is done quickly. Eating quickly has become a side effect of the world we have created. I have shared many a slow paced and fast paced meal. And the fast meal always makes me feel sick or bloated, tired or unsatisfied yet I still find myself doing it. Interesting, no? Why do we do thinks we know will bring us pain?
Great article as always, Matt. It is a good reminder to slow down while eating… as well as in other areas of life! It reminded me of when I used to drink boiling hot liquids
while you would barely take a sip! Thank you for the health reminder and for sharing your experiences.
Sometimes just the “anticipatory aspect” of having a meal make a person eat fast or “like an animal”, as my mother used to say. For instance, have you every received a call from someone inviting you out to a meal. You are not that hungry (but out of curiosity) ask; “where to?” When you find out the restaurant, you start to salivate because you “anticipate” ordering your favorite dish? Many times, when I eat out, even though I am not hungry, I notice this happens because I immediately think of a particular meal and the mental/anticipatory aspect is superior to the physical aspect. Matt, very interesting, thought provoking article.
Great stuff Matt…My new project Cooking Zen is all about what you are talking about…For me its a combination of my work as a chef and my personal zen practice…Mindfulness and making better choices for you and the world….Great stuff Matt
Hey Matt!
Sorry it’s taken me so long to read and reply. I’ve been doing a lot of traveling lately, which is both the reason for my tardiness and the thing I had in mind while reading your piece. We spent two weeks in Italy, traveling from North to South, and everywhere we went the meals were deliberate, slow, and beautiful. Of course, they were also some of the best I’ve ever had. I don’t think that’s a coincidence at all. Now, just two weeks home, I find I’m already back to the American way of eating. Today I think I’ll take a deep breath and slow down when it comes to preparing and eating. Thanks for the inspiration!
PS- Don’t even get me started on the gorgeous, natural ingredients they were using! So fresh you could cry!
Leave a Comment