Comments on: Conscious Eating: Does it Matter?

By: Laura

Laura — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 19:03:43 +0000

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!

By: Zane (Cooking Zen)

Zane (Cooking Zen) — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 22:06:23 +0000

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

By: Newt

Newt — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 17:12:20 +0000

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.

By: Lynn

Lynn — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 16:30:28 +0000

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.

By: Tara

Tara — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:12:31 +0000

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?

By: Sunil

Sunil — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 22:10:41 +0000

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.

By: Gwen

Gwen — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 19:18:32 +0000

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.

By: Jill

Jill — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 18:48:23 +0000

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!

By: Suzanne Kostman

Suzanne Kostman — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:04:36 +0000

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…..: )

By: Danny Berger

Danny Berger — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 02:40:52 +0000

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!

By: Karen Garvey

Karen Garvey — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 20:32:57 +0000

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.

By: Steve Maraboli

Steve Maraboli — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 20:30:45 +0000

Thanks Matt! As always, your work is informative, insightful, and well written. I look forward to reading more!

By: Paul

Paul — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:40:39 +0000

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”.

By: Kevin O

Kevin O — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:09:44 +0000

Great stuff Matt. If more people were aware of their eating and breathing – stress and obesity levels would be a lot lower!

By: Lenn Thompson

Lenn Thompson — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:04:35 +0000

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