So I am giving it a go. I read recently that flavour is composed of taste, smell, texture, appearance and temperature. So I am working on noticing all of these components when I eat.
This morning I started to eat this:
and when I really focussed on the sensation in my mouth I noticed that although it was sweet it was also quite floury and claggy in my mouth. ('Claggy' means 'stickily clinging' to those of you who weren't brought up in Derbyshire). I had one mouthful and went looking for something else.
This is what I chose:
The berries were a taste sensation - smooth and firm on the outside, explosions of taste when I bit into them.
So my conclusion
- Mindful eating is fun!
- Mindful eating helps me to question my unconscious rules about what I like to eat. Which is a good thing!
This is fantastic and very true! About a year ago I stopped eating sugar (the kind you get in cakes, chocolate etc) and when I ate something recently that was very sugary I could taste it so violenty in my mouth that I felt sick.
ReplyDeleteI've noticed that when I approach food in a mindful way I do tend to eat more healthy options. It's about enjoying the sensations that the food provides and being good to your body.
Thanks for the post Rachel - a great reminder for us all.
WOW! Does that mean you don't eat chocolate? I think I would die!!!!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sedl.org/scimath/pasopartners/senses/lesson6a1.html
ReplyDeletehas a taste region of the tongue guide. Remember that you need saliva to taste food so if your mouth is dry (through medication, stress, dehydration etc), you physically are unable to taste as well as when fully salivating... Do you charge up the taste of a healthful food option by dropping it at the appropriate part of the tongue (enhancing the flavour)? I do. Eating more slowly and fully masticating the food also provides more surface area of food and taste bud contact to maximise the experience for your dollar/calorie! I will often pass up a food if the calorie:flavour ratio is not favourable and as an insulin reliant diabetic, I have to get the most return for my consumption... Depression/altered moods can influence my perception of taste also. Mindfulness gets me back into a realistic/optimised receptor zone.
Charlie