Let’s face it, everyone is busy in this hectic rush rush world but we need to stop and take sometime to focus on ourselves and the people in our lives. Our health is suffering and it’s time to stop rushing and to begin creating some meal time rituals that are good for us.
It’s been the norm for quite some time now to eat meals and snack in front of the television. This habit has compromised eating habits and family dinners are becoming a thing of the past for so many people.
Right now at least 1 in 5 people are eating meals in their cars and more than a third of them are eating fast food every single day.
Obviously family patterns and living arrangements have drastically shifted because over 60% of people are eating alone every single day.
The phone is making it even worse as people don’t hesitate to pull them out anywhere and use them during meals or conversation times. That can leave the people are eating with feeling that they aren’t as important as your phone.
In Europe and Asia, people still sit down routinely as a family for meals, which is precisely why those countries have less obesity than America.
Working on the computer while you eat is also a great way to consume mindless calories and not even be aware of the delicious food you’re eating. Shoving pizza in your mouth while you work doesn’t do much for your digestion either.
Putting a stop to the habit of mindless eating can cut calories and will help you to enjoy your food. And it will make you healthier because you eat at a slower pace and are mindfully ingesting your food.
Mindless Eating Puts You Out Of Touch
Remember you’re missing out when you eat your meals in front of the television or engage in other distractions. You don’t fully enjoy the special textures, flavours or aromas of your meal and you’re not giving your body the opportunity to communicate with your brain so you know when you’re full.
You completely miss the signals that show when you’ve had enough to eat and that makes it so much easier to overeat. Your stomach doesn’t really register just how much you’ve eaten for 20 minutes after your last bite. And that’s how you end up with that uncomfortable stuffed feeling.
So begin to take the time to actually focus on the meals you are eating. The conscious focus and attention will condition you to be aware of the quality and quantity of food that you’re consuming.
It’s way too easy in our busy lives to not stop and take a proper break for meals. People are working more irregular hours, living by themselves and have lost the structure that was there for us years ago.
If you are living alone or eating on the fly start to shift your focus and create some new healthy rituals for yourself. It’s important to your health and well being. Your digestion will improve and you’ll be more aware of your food choices.
So even if you’re by yourself start to make time to make a beautiful looking meal for yourself. The visual aspect of your food is so important in the process of enjoying your food and getting into the habit of being mindful with your meals.
It doesn’t take long to take a nice roasted chicken and surround it with some nice healthy veggies and a pretty parsley garnish. It’s going to look appetizing and you’ll enjoy your dinner and feel like you’ve treated yourself.
Treat Yourself… You’ll Be Glad You Did
We are sensory visual creatures so our perception of satisfaction from our meals isn’t just triggered by the taste. Without taking the time and using some ceremony for your meals you are triggering what weight loss experts have labelled sensory disregard. They consider it to be a huge part of what triggers overeating and eventual obesity.
What this means when you don’t take the time to activate your senses and make the effort to enjoy each meal you’re probably going to keep eating until you’re way over the normal food intake for one meal. And you won’t be satisfied.
Start making proper time for meals and set yourself up to enjoy your food even more by paying attention to your senses. By doing simple things like include drizzling extra virgin olive oil over fresh salad greens or over warm veggies you are adding goodness to your food and being mindful of adding that to your meals.
Take the time to pay attention to your table setting and environment. Simple things can make a big difference to create some extra ambience and make you feel good about being there. And then make sure you savour each bite for taste and texture to determine whether it’s sweet, salty, bitter or another taste.
Being mindful about feeding your senses will cause you to seek and develop a new pleasurable relationship with food. And this new habit can transform how you think about meals and life overall delivering more healthy happiness to your world.
Bon Appetite!