Savor the Flavor of Eating Right

In case you missed it, March was National Nutrition Month. But just because March is over, doesn’t mean that we should stop paying attention to our nutrition. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ theme this year was “Savor the Flavor of Eating Right,” and the purpose was to help individuals use mindful eating techniques.

Eating is not just about what we eat, but is also about how, when, why, and where we eat. It is important to take time to appreciate the flavors of the food and enjoy the social settings we are in during meal time. Special occasions and family traditions are often accompanied by delicious foods and treats.  Remember that all foods CAN and DO fit into a healthy lifestyle. The key is moderation and you can maintain moderation by becoming a mindful eater.

When special occasions arise, take the time to savor and really taste all of the different flavors in your food. One way this can be done is by eating more slowly. As you are eating, think about the texture, taste, and smell the food has. Enjoy the social environment you are in while eating as well. Food often brings people together and represents a celebration. Try not to let yourself feel guilty about enjoying certain foods. If you are enjoying a food that typically has some guilt attached to it, ditch the guilt and savor the flavors you enjoy from this food. Enjoy the moment, know when your body tells you it has had enough, and move forward.

Your body needs adequate energy to work efficiently. Here is an analogy for you… Your car needs fuel to run properly. When you are fueling your car with gas, do you only add just enough gas so your car doesn’t stall or die? No, you fill your car up with enough gas to properly take you to all the places you want to go. By fueling your car with adequate gas, your car maintains working condition is able to take you to your day to day activities. Just like your car, you need to fuel yourself with enough food to take on your day to day activities.  On the flip side, it is also important to avoid adding too much gas to your car because the gas will spill over out of the gas tank. When you are at the gas station, you stand by the pump and listen for signals that you have added the right amount of fuel to your car. As you are eating, you should do the same. Listen to what your body is telling you about your hunger and fullness. Your body runs best when you fuel it to satisfaction and not over fuel or under fuel yourself.

When eating, savor the flavors various foods have and listen to how your body feels after eating certain foods. Fuel your body with more foods that give you energy and less foods that make you feel sluggish afterwards. By doing this you will be able to create a healthy relationship with your body and will find that all foods can in fact fit.