Savor the Flavor

3/25/2016 (Permalink)

Is food really just fuel? Should it be used only medicinally or functionally to achieve a fitness, weight or sports related goal? It depends on who you ask. Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) are encouraging everyone this month to ask themselves “What is my relationship with food?”

March is National Nutrition Month and the theme for 2016 is "Savor the Flavor of Eating Right," which, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetic  (AND), "encourages everyone to take time to enjoy food traditions and appreciate the pleasures, great flavors and social experiences food can add to our lives. How, when, why and where we eat are just as important as what we eat.”

What is food outside of fuel? It is celebratory, social, nostalgic, comfort, medicine, flavor, culture, an act of love or kindness and the list goes on. With rising obesity rates in the United States, is it possible food is being consumed for the reasons listed above more often than for fuel? Short answer: yes. So how do we find balance and how to do we “Savor the Flavor of Eating Right?”

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends we “develop a mindful eating pattern that includes nutritious and flavorful foods.” According to the Center for Mindful Eating, “Mindful eating is allowing yourself to become aware of the positive and nurturing opportunities that are available through food selection and preparation by respecting your own inner wisdom. By using all your senses in choosing to eat food that is both satisfying to you and nourishing to your body, acknowledging your responses to food (likes, dislikes or neutral) without judgment, and becoming aware of physical hunger and satiety cues to guide your decisions to begin and end eating, you can change your relationship to food.”

You can incorporate mindful eating by performing the following steps:

·   Ask yourself, “How hungry am I? What could be contributing to this hunger? Am I in a mindful environment?”

·   Create a mindful environment free of distractions. This is usually achieved at a dining table with no television, phones, reading materials or Internet browsing.

·   Take a moment to consider where the food came from and the efforts of those who brought it to the table.

·   Consider a sense of thanks and praise.

·   As you engage in the meal or snack, be sure to smell the food well. This enhances flavor and satisfaction.

·   Take small bites and chew until the flavor is gone. Pay attention to flavor, textures and feelings as the food exits the mouth and travels to the stomach.

·   Put the utensils down a moment and assess how the hunger and satisfaction levels have changed with each bite.

Mindful eating has been credited with everything from weight management to recovery from disordered eating. It puts the individual in the driver's seat and allows the body to decide internally when it is full and satisfied versus utilizing external cues such as a clean plate or a diet plan. 

Content Credit: http://www.tennessean.com/