A note on eating habits

"If we looked at eating as an activity to relish rather than as an invitation to gluttony, says Paul Rozin, PhD, we'd all be not only healthier but happier" Michelle Stacey, The Pleasure Teacher, O magazine May 2008

I just wanted to express something that I have noticed in the two weeks of doing the VLCD part of this protocol. My eating habits have changed. Partially, what I eat, but that I can attribute to the very limited choices in foods we are allowed to consume during this phase of the protocol. I don't mind that my choices are limited because I can use spices and herbs to change flavors and I love grilled foods. I really enjoy grilled asparagus. If you haven't tried it, you should! It is quite flavorful with a sprinkle of salt and garlic and maybe a hint of lemon juice. But beyond the limited menu, I have begun to savor my food. That is something that I have rarely done in the past. Sure, on occasion, when out at a fine restaurant I would take smaller bites and hold them in my mouth to let the juices flow over my tongue and just feel like the flavor enveloped me. But my daily eating habits were a far cry from savoring and enjoying the food. It was more like, shovel it in so you can eat as much as you want before it's gone and then be on my merry way to do the next thing, like dishes or going somewhere.

This morning I read an article in "O" magazine called "The Pleasure Teacher" written by Michelle Stacey in the May 2008 issue. The article discusses the psychology of food's role in pleasure according to Paul Rozin. He makes several good points and I think it is a must read for those of us who are shovelers, not savorers. He discusses comparing menus in various countries. The United States has a habit of wanting to provide something for everyone. We demand numerous choices and abundant portions. He also said that our way is if something is free, we must take it. That brings me to "samples" at the grocery stores. I often shop at Costco and Sam's. They have many, many samples out, especially on Saturdays when the majority of our society does it's shopping. People practically shove each other out of the way for a sample of cheese, or meat, or some frozen dinner that's been heated in a small oven by a little old lady! It's obscene! It's disgusting!

Well, I have noticed my habits changing, even during the time I was cleansing and preparing before the VLCD. I have been bypassing the free samples offered, every one of them! I have been taking smaller bites and chewing them slowly and for a longer time. I have been closing my eyes and concentrating on flavors and enjoying them much more than ever in my life. Sure, I look forward to that first donut on phase 4, I will admit that. But I won't be wolfing it down like it's my last scrap of food during a famine with a mob fighting me for it. That is truly an accurate description of how I would eat in the past. Sick, huh?

If you get an opportunity to read the article in "O", I urge you to do it. Whether you are dieting or not. Whether you need to lose weight or not. This article is very pointed and could do all of us with the American idea of more is better and faster is more efficient burned into our lifestyle. How about slowing down and enjoying life and every meal you get to share. Don't just eat it, enjoy it slowly. Remember what you ate today, tomorrow!