How many food related decisions do you make each day? According to food psychologist Brian Wansink we make approximately 200 decisions about food every day. Every day!
These decisions include the conscious choice to eat a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast and to stop at the local cafe for a latte on the way to work. However, what started out as a morning of conscious eating may become more mindless as the morning unfolds. Let's imagine for a moment that despite the efficiency of the baristas, the cafe's popularity (this is Seattle after all) results in 5 minutes of ogling the pastry counter. By the time it’s your turn to order, you find yourself pairing a tall 2% extra-hot latte, with an almond croissant.
Perhaps you tell yourself that you will just eat a few bites of the pastry as you just ate breakfast, but as you reach around your mouse pad for one final bite before a mid-morning meeting, your hand finds an empty pastry bag. You silently commit to an extra 15 minutes on the elliptical trainer tonight before heading to the meeting where fresh bagels and cream cheese await you. Sound familiar?
Now let's revisit the moment you arrive at work with latte and croissant in hand. This time you take the pastry out of the bag and size it up before awakening your computer. It still looks as delicious as it did behind the counter and smells so amazing.
You grab a knife and cut it in half allowing a few extra almonds to fall onto the side nearest to you. Before even taking a single bite you place the second half back in the bag and offer it to a coworker. You then stop in the sunlit break room (yup, we are still in Seattle) and sit down to enjoy the 1/2 croissant with your latte. You savor the flavor and texture, chewing each bite thoroughly. About halfway through your portion you are satisfied and wrap up the remaining pastry for later. Upon arriving at the meeting you notice the bagels and assess your hunger level. Conscious that you are still satisfied, you grab a glass of water and take a seat at the opposite end of the table from the bagels.
Which scenario do you relate to more? One of the first steps toward conscious eating is to become mindful of (and to honor) your body's signals for hunger and satiety. Stay tuned for future posts as we explore the seemingly simple question: Are you hungry???
