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Many people start off sheepishly with, “Oh, I think I eat fairly well.” Pause. “Come to think of it, I tend to snack on junk food more often than I should.” And so the story unfolds of the eating habits of more of us than we’d like to admit. Food tends to be a very sensitive topic that people are less forthcoming about than even let’s say personal hygiene. Who wants to announce how many blue chips were quickly devoured on the way out the door, or the Snicker’s bar that was smoothly purchased at the gas station?
Today, information abounds about the connection between food and mood. It is linked to our physical, mental and emotional health. “Research shows that our diet can influence our mental health, for both good and bad …..That’s important because mental well-being—feelings of optimism, happiness, self-esteem and resilience—can help protect not only against mental health problems but physical ones as well.” David Sack, MD, Psychology Today, April 21, 2015. Fruits and vegetables are linked to improved well-being. Multivitamins and minerals are known to be vital to thinking clearly. Fatty foods on the other hand, are linked to increased anxiety, impaired memory and brain inflammation. It is said proteins can help lift depression and complex carbohydrates can help keep anxiety down.
Whenever my father visits the US, he declares with a dramatic flourish, “I have decided not to fall sick.” We respond with a smile and nod. But, come to think of it, how does one do that? Well, for one, exceptional care is needed to heed what one eats, how much and how. Mindful eating enables portion control. As a young girl I remember watching my mother serve herself in a quarter plate, so as to limit food intake. It mystified me then. When we visited China almost a decade ago, we noticed we were given saucer plate sized dishes (5-6” in diameter) to eat in. The temptation to overfill was nipped in the bud, there and then. The tables were laden with mounds of food and there was plenty to choose from, but the idea was to partake in small amounts. Family gatherings, celebrations, parties are notorious for unhealthy eating. The silver lining is that we do have free will to make sensible choices. Instead of the entire chunk of cheesecake I can carve out a teaspoon and taste it. Instead of the breaded chicken smothered in a buttery sauce I can select the grilled fish on a bed of quinoa.
Food is nourishment for the body and soul, so to speak. How we eat is equally relevant to what or how much we eat. Eating on the run, or in the car between meetings, or standing at the kitchen counter, hopping on one foot so as not to miss the bus, are full proof recipes for sabotaging good intentions. Instead of eating mindlessly while watching TV or reading a paper it is better to sit at a table and honor the act of eating. If we take the time to sip or chew slowly, we can savor the food fully and relish its mouthwatering delight. It fires off pleasure signals to the brain and we feel satiated. A sit down meal will fill our senses much more and lead to satisfaction that will last. In Europe people linger over their lunch, soaking in the atmosphere, be at an outdoor café or under a huge fig tree, conversing and stretching it to a leisurely two hours. They know the value of doing full justice to a meal. Delizioso!
As you reach for your life goals, deciding that you do not have time to eat because you are too busy chasing your dream, you are being the hare in Aesop’s fable ‘The tortoise and the hare’. You might think you are winning the race because you are so far ahead of the rest of the pack, but in reality you are setting yourself up to lose the marathon. You will run out of steam. We all need sustenance and good nourishment.
Remember the brain can only function as well as you feed the body. Keep in mind that your grandmother chasing you with a spoonful of spinach knew what she was fussing about. Mine did. Make the time, pick up your fork, satisfy those taste buds and eat well. Bon Appétit! ~ Sushama Kirtikar, August 2015.
Related Book: ‘Mindless Eating: Why we eat more than we think’, Brian Wansink, PhD
“The body is your temple. Keep it pure and clean for the soul to reside in.” ~ B.K.S. Iyengar , Yogacharya.