The Art of Eating

Recently, I’ve been observing how people eat. How a person eats can make a big difference in how much they weigh and in overall health and well being.

Recommendations on “what to eat” are easy to find. “Food awareness” is promoted by such movements as eat locally, all-natural ingredients, no preservatives, no additives, and no artificial flavorings. Even French cooking is making a comeback due to the movie, Julie & Julia.

But articles about “how to eat” are scarce. Yet, how you eat is a very significant factor in how much you weigh, and ultimately, in your overall health.

Before I learned how to eat, no wonder I kept gaining weight. Here’s a list of some of my eating habits: skip breakfast or eat a Danish with a cup of coffee. Mid morning when I was jittery, I would eat a pastry or candy bar. Lunch was an actual meal, but if I felt fat that day, I’d eat a cookie and have a Fresca or Tab. Late afternoon I was so hungry and undernourished that I’d eat and eat. By myself. Cookies, cakes, donuts. I stuffed them in. Perhaps an apple. I’d eat almost a whole meal while preparing dinner, because I was so weak and irritated or irritating. Then I ate dinner with my family.

My worse eating habits were these: I ate very fast, hardly pausing to catch my breath at times. I never paused before eating to say a blessing or give thanks. I ate leftovers from other family members’ plates so the food didn’t go to waste. I ate while standing up or while reading in bed. I discussed challenging or difficult topics while eating. I answered the phone during a meal. I ate food I didn’t enjoy and ate when I was upset. Skipped breakfast or ate a poor quality breakfast. Ate too much food too often. Skipped lunch.

More bad habits that I didn’t have. I’m trying to think of all the bad eating behaviors I’ve seen or heard about. Chances are good you know some I don’t. If I’ve missed any, please email more to me. Lucy@lucybeale.com.
• Watching TV or a movie, or listening to the radio while eating.
• Texting while eating.
• Talking on the phone while eating.
• Confusing quantity with quality of food. Eating more and more poor quality food – like white bread or fast food - will never satisfy your body’s hunger for high-quality nutrition.
• Eating all the food on your plate when you’ve eaten enough.
• Confusing anger, loneliness, fear, tiredness, and boredom with hunger.
• Raiding the refrigerator anytime or at night.
• Pushing food on others when they don’t want to eat.

At no time when I was gaining weight or when I was overweight did I even question my eating habits. They controlled my eating, I didn’t. It was only when I changed my eating habits, that I finally lost about 50 pounds and they’ve never come back.

Here are some ways to modify your eating habits. Notice how your eating habits change on vacation if you’re staying in a hotel. (Road trips,cruises, and visiting family doesn’t apply here.) You can’t get seconds unless you order a second entrée and pay for it. You can’t sample while you’re cooking. You can’t run to the kitchen or open the food drawer at your desk when you’re bored or need an emotional lift. Instead, when you’re hungry, you locate a restaurant, sit down, order, then wait for your meal to be served. If you’re in a foreign country, chances are good that the portions are smaller than in the States, so you eat less. They also don’t have a television in sight.

So, turn off the media, turn off the cell phone, turn off the computer, and sit down to eat. Say grace or blessing. Eat in the kitchen or dining room. Fill the plates at the stove with moderate-size portions. Eat slowly. Eat balanced meals of protein, carbs, and fat. Sit while eating everything, including snacks. Avoid difficult or challenging topics at meals. Store leftovers or throw them out. Eat food that satisfies your body and meets your nutritional needs. Eat as if you’re in a fine restaurant even if you aren’t. Enjoy your food – every single bite. Eat sensuously. Set good example for other family members.

By eating in a harmonious and joyful way, you’ll find that eating creates a sense of tranquility and gives you three enjoyable breaks a day.

Lucy Beale