Savoring Food
Savoring Food
I’ve mentioned in previous posts I’m searching for answers about how to maintain a healthy weight. I need to alter this slightly. I’m searching for answers to maintaining a healthy weight without being obsessed about food.
In my search for answers, I’ve found a book that speaks to me. It’s not a diet book. It’s about living a healthy lifestyle that includes weight loss and savoring food. Eat What You Love and Love What You Eat, by Dr. Michelle May has given me several ah-ha moments. I’m learning that I can be in charge of what I eat and eat ANY food I love in moderation. The author calls it mindful eating.
Mindful Moments
Throughout the book Dr. May offers Mindful Moments. One Mindful Moment, in particular, resonated with me. “Get rid of guilt and make eating for enjoyment an intentional decision.”
I’ve found many similarities between this book and The Checklist Diet by Rebecca Clark. For instance, the three bite rule. After three bites, the taste buds stop registering that intense flavor. “Next time you have the craving for something amazing and sinful (like cheesecake), take the first bite and savor the deliciousness. Eat it slowly…” By the fourth bite, the taste will have diminished, Rebecca says.
I didn’t believe it until I tried it, but it really works. And there’s a twofold benefit. I ate something I loved, and I savored the texture, the taste, the experience it gave my taste buds!
Love What You Eat
Another Mindful Moment, by Dr. May, “If you love what you eat, act like it.” I found that when I took a moment to look at my food, inhale the wonderful scents rising from my plate, feel the texture of the food on my tongue and the roof of my mouth, that my entire eating experience changed. I ate until I was satisfied and loved what I ate!
My mantra this week is to stop feeling guilty about what I eat and savor every morsel. What about you? Is there something you want to strive for this week?