Savoring

I’ve always been late for everything. I have a uncanny ability to get up from bed almost exactly 15 minutes later than I need to and it carries on like that the whole day with me glancing at my watch just a tad too late every time.

In my family the importance of breakfast as an anchor meal of the day was very pronounced to us three siblings by my mother. As I almost always reached the kitchen when my brother and sister were midway into theirs I had to rush through mine to make it to school on time. (cause according to my mom I would have grown up wrong if I had even missed or not completed even one breakfast meal)

The product of that early life ritual is that I eat really fast (like some crazy food Olympic style sprint eating fast). I usually finish my meal in less than half the time others take. There is a humorous side to it though; a lot of people I go out eating with are not able to have their fill out of politeness because the huge man across the table from them suddenly stops eating even when they are about getting started (wicked).

Despite that small mischievous satisfaction eating fast is actually a habit I’m trying to get rid of.

I’ve discovered that if I take smaller bites of my food and chew it thoroughly, not only do I savor the taste of what I am eating more completely but I also eat less (which helps me with my weight loss quest).

Taking your time to eat not only lets you recognize the obvious primary tastes of the seasoning but also lets you relish the more subtle tastes and textures behind the preparation that you would quite easily miss in a hurry.

Even cut fruits and salads really come into their own when you give them time to interact with your mouth before you push them down for processing.

Give it a try the next time you are scooping a spoonful.