Soul Sculpting Project: The How of Eating:   Part One

It’s Not Just What We Eat It’s How We Eat.

Ever do this? You’re hungry so you get out a snack to eat. Then you decide to get something done while you eat. You get to work and after a while you notice your snack is gone, but you have no memory of eating it.

What if how we eat is just as (or more) important than what we eat.

I am playing with 4 Hows of eating these days. In Part One we’ll look at the first 2.

#1 The How of Attention

Does it matter if we eat mindlessly?

Yes.

Studies have shown that when we are distracted – like watching a show, playing a game, texting, talking to people-

• We eat a larger quantity
  
• We enjoy our food less       (Bolhuis et al. 2013)

Eating with Attention Matters

So how do we eat less mindlessly?

It is as simple (and as difficult ) as giving full attention to our food for a several bites.

This often involves slowing down and it always involves noticing. I notice appearance, smell, taste, temperature. I might move out of the present and begin remembering the origin of the meal.

I have yet to pay full attention for a full meal (how my mind loves to wander), but even a few bites of attention is a big improvement for me.

#2 The How of Pleasure

Does it matter if we enjoy our meal?

Yes. (Listen-up kids, this is a good argument for not eating foods you hate.)

Digestion is not only about our gut, it begins in the brain with our:

Cephalic Phase Digestive Response.

This is where we register the:

taste, aroma, sight, satisfaction and over all pleasure of a meal.

When we eat with pleasure we get the most nutrition a food has to offer.

Research Study:

• Session 1: Subjects are given a great meal and iron absorption is measured.
• Session 2: Subjects are give the same great meal put through a blender and turned to a thick paste.
• Results: Subjects absorbed 70% less iron from the blended meal as the standard meal.

Both meals contained the same amount of iron so why the difference?

The blended meal lacked pleasure. (Marc David, The Slow Down Diet)

Eating with pleasure matters.

So how do we take pleasure in our food?

While I am paying attention to my food I dedicate a few bites to getting as much enjoyment as I can from the meal.

What delights me about this bite; the bright color, the spicy flavor, the crispness, the warmth, the garden that grew it, the person who prepared it?

Giving attention and taking pleasure in a meal are surprisingly difficult. Eating habits die hard.

I do, however, experience a deep satisfaction and a sense that this is good for my body when I give attention and take pleasure in my food.

Bottom line:

• When we eat without pleasure we reduce assimilation of specific nutrients by 20-80%.

• When we eat mindlessly we eat a larger quantity with less pleasure.

It appears to me that God has designed humans so that we get the most nutrition out of our food when we eat with attention and pleasure.

I invite you to join me in a new way of eating.

Soul Sculpting Project: The How of Eating

Pick one meal or snack a day for a project.

Tip: Using If-Then to remember your intention will increase your odds of remembering and acting. If it is lunchtime, Then I am doing a Soul Sculpting Project

Soul Sculpting Project #1: The How of Attention: For 30 seconds give full attention to your food.

Soul Sculpting Project #2: The How of Pleasure: For 30 seconds take as much pleasure as possible in your food.

So right now I am hungry so I am going to get myself some fruit and I am going to do something amazing. I am going to sit down, with no other activity at hand. Then I will give thanks to God, take a deep slow breath, and enjoy every bite I can.

Bon Appetit

So whatever you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31)