“To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art.” – Francois La Rochefoucauld
What we eat is important. How we eat is just as important if not more. What does your ideal mealtime look like? What does your actual mealtime look like? Is it one of convenience whereby you heat something up quickly only to slam it down because your next part of the day is within minutes? Is it a snack or protein bar on the run or while you take in some social media or TV? Do you try really hard to get a great meal on the table, only to find everyone scarfs it down and the whole thing is over within 10 minutes flat, despite the hour or more you put into the preparation?
I went to a conference about emotional intelligence in 2004 that had an unexpected twist. As part of the training, we experienced the importance of “being present” and “being mindful.” The goal is to be in the present moment—to be free of distraction, giving your complete and total energy and focus to what is taking place, who is there, what they are saying or doing, and taking note of what matters and then engaging accordingly. We did two exercises that changed my outlook on being present and the importance of it, especially at mealtime.
In the first exercise we practiced utilizing all five senses when eating. It sounds crazy, but have you ever thought about the positive effects of doing this? The training used a raisin, which I found hilarious because I didn’t really like raisins at the time. We were told to take one raisin and do the following:
- Slow down, stop what you’re doing, and focus only on the raisin.
- Look at it in detail noticing the color, shape, size, and texture.
- Smell it—is it sweet, sour, pungent, or barely have a smell at all?
- Move it around with your fingers and use your touch senses to determine if it is soft, squishy, hard, rigid, or prickly.
- Place it next to your ear and see if it makes any sounds when you squish and move it around.
- Taste it by putting it in your mouth. Don’t chew right away—move it around and taste it. After about 15 seconds, chew it slowly and identify what flavors you experience. Do you pick up salty, sweet, sour, or bitter tastes? Do the tastes change over time?
This exercise took about 10 minutes, and although it seemed like the longest 10 minutes of my life spent with a single raisin, at the end of the exercise I knew exactly what I was about to digest and the importance of this exercise. I understood everything I could about this food, and it was a very eye-opening experience.
It was oddly satisfying. I was forced to slow down, and it was awesome. As crazy as this sounds, as a result I actually started to enjoy raisins. I encourage you to try this exercise with friends or family. It is a funny eye-opener, and I guarantee that if you can build up some experience, your mealtime will benefit exponentially. You will slow down and be present.
We learned that some cultures around the world can take hours to eat their meal, while folks in the US spend around 1 hour a day on meals total, with some only lasting a couple minutes. The benefits of eating your meal slowly include:
- Improved digestion because your gut has more time to process what you’re eating. Our functional doctor encouraged us to chew each bite 20-25 times vs the 1-3 quick chews just to get it down the hatch before the next bite.
- Increased food satisfaction because you are being present and paying attention to what you eat.
- The ability to stop before we are stuffed. Our stomach takes 20 minutes to produce the necessary hormones that give our brain the signal that we are full. This approach supports the 80% rule—stop when you feel 80% full. Remember the Hara Hachi Bu concept from the wise people in Okinawa?
- Improved weight loss because you learn to stop eating sooner. One of our doctors told us that slower eating is also associated with a lower body mass index (BMI). Obesity is measured by BMI.
The above exercises and benefits illustrate the physical importance of eating slowly and being present during mealtimes. There are additional reasons that are even more important to me:
- When you set the phone aside and slow down at mealtimes, you get to have a great conversation with your family and friends.
- When you slow down at the dinner table, you can hear what everyone has to say, and share your thoughts in a low-stress environment.
- When you cook and eat together, you get to enjoy the labor of your work with those you love.
If you research the statistics of mealtime online, you will be shocked to discover how little families eat together in the U.S. European and other countries around the world do significantly better in this area. When researching further, I learned that families are often less stressed when they eat together regularly. In fact (and this is no surprise), children and teens have better psychological and social outcomes when spending time together at meals. It’s also no surprise that most families wish they could eat together more often. The reward is there.
What would you change about “how” you eat? Would you make a conscious effort to slow down, eat less, and be present if you knew it could add years to your life? Would you prioritize taking time during meals to spend with family or friends?