I don’t know why I grew up to be such a fast eater but by the time I reached college I could walk into the cafeteria, inhale my dinner and be out of there in record time. I think I felt proud of my speed-eating skill. The last year of college, however, I ran into a problem. I began eating meals frequently with my new roommate, Trish. As we ate together I discovered that Trish was the slowest eater I had ever met. Glacial speed. Okay, it probably wasn’t that slow, but for a chronic speed eater it sure felt like it.

Day after day we would  take our meal trays to a table, sit down at the same time and begin a conversation. In less than 5 minutes I would take my last bite and then look at Trish’s plate only to discover that, yet again, she had hardly begun her meal.  Sometimes I would survey the dining room. Was anybody else eating this slowly? Not that I could tell. 

I didn’t want to be rude and leave her there alone so I waited, and waited, and waited for her to finish. After a few weeks of this, I concluded it would be more fun if I did less waiting. So I decided to eat my food more slowly. 

Easier said than done. I found that deciding to eat slowly and succeeding at slowing down my eating were two very different things. My grandest efforts to eat slowly still left me finishing far ahead of Trish.  How did she eat so slowly? 

I decided to do a little private research project. During the next few meals as soon as we sat down to eat I studied Trish’s every move to discover her secret.

The results of my research study: Trish’s secret technique was in the fork. Between every single bite she laid down her fork and paused.

I began to discreetly mimic this technique. Put down your fork. Pause. Pick up your fork. Take another bite. Repeat.

It worked! Miracle! I now could eat at a similar rate as my roommate.

Lent 2022: Counteracting the 7 Deadly Sins with 7 Life-giving Virtues

Week #5

Deadly Sin: Gluttony

Life-giving Virtue: Slowing Down

Deadly Sin List: Begun in the 4th century by Evagrius Ponticus, numbered in the 6th century by Pope Gregory the 1st, and elaborated on in the 13th century by Thomas Aquinas.

What’s Gluttony?

Gluttony is a problematic relationship with food.

For the creators of the 7 Deadly Sins list, gluttony had to do with what, when, why, and how we eat. Eating at inappropriate times, for inappropriate reasons was seen as gluttony. Eating with haste was another concern. My speed-eating skill would not have impressed them. Gluttony also had to do with excesses in eating, especially over-eating. 

What’s wrong with Overeating?

If you find honey, eat just enough— too much of it, and you will vomit. Proverbs 25:16

One thing we know is that over-eating is hard on our body. We are not designed to overeat.

What happens to our body when we overeat?

We know the feeling in our body. Uncomfortable, hot, tired, heartburn. These happen because:  

• Our stomach expands beyond its normal size and pushes against other organs. 
• Our organs work harder secreting extra hormones and enzymes.
• Our stomach produces hydrochloric acid that may back-up into the esophagus.
• Our heart tries to speed up our metabolism to burn off the extra calories. 
• Our whole digestive process is slowed down so food remains in the stomach and is more likely to turn into fat.
• Our circadian clock, which causes our sleep and hunger hormone levels to rise and fall throughout the day, is disrupted. 

What’s wrong with eating in haste? Speed eating

We don’t seem to be designed for that either.

Fast eating is associated with:

• Obesity
• Increased risk for insulin resistance which nudges us towards Type 2 diabetes
• Low levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol
• Erosive gastritis — inflammation that eats away at the lining of the stomach
• Metabolic syndrome: a group of conditions that occur together, increasing our risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.

What’s right about eating slowly?

Once I learned the secret of slow eating in college I began to discover some of the other benefits, beyond not having to wait so long for my roommate.

When I ate slowly I enjoyed my food more. I lowered my odds of over-eating. 

I even found that eating more slowly helped me become more awake to the present moment, and this in turn increased my life satisfaction.

Recently I’ve learned some health benefits of eating slowly.

Slow eating is associated with:

• Better digestion 
• Feeling fuller, faster 
• Smaller waist circumference 
• Lower body mass 
• Lower risk of all the above health problems associated with fast eating

There are many ways we can address the problems of gluttony. Today I invite you to join me in a hands-on way. Or perhaps I could say a hands-off method for improving our relationship with food.

Soul Sculpting Project: Put it Down, Pause, Pick it Up

As you eat one meal each day, in between each bite:

1. Put down your fork or the food in your hand 
2. Pause, as long as you wish
3. Pick up your fork/food and take another bite.

My deep gratitude to my roommate Trish Jennings who taught me how to eat –slooowly.