A crisp wind rustles through what is left of the golden and brown leaves of my neighborhood trees. There’s frost on the morning grass, and depending on where you live, snow may already be painting the landscape a brilliant white. The chilly breezy days invite invigorating walks through blowing leaves and the cold nights inspire warm comfort foods eaten by cozy fireplaces. This time of year savory soups, hearty chili, and dense stews warm our bones and nourish our spirits.
Memories…
When I was a child, my German-born and German-raised mom would nurture us with food. Every day she would spend hours in the kitchen cooking up old-world meals made from freshly picked garden vegetables and recipes passed down through the generations.
Some of her favorite love offerings included Sauerbraten (beef roast stewed with red wine and vinegar), thick bacon flavored lentil soup, hearty bean and ham soup, and authentic zesty bratwurst with potato dumplings and red cabbage.
After school, it would take nearly thirty minutes to bundle up in two pairs of heavy socks, boots, pants, water resistant pants, several layers of sweaters, coat, mittens, scarf, and hat. With all my layers, I would waddle out into the winter landscape and fully prepared to play for several hours in the pristine white snow of upstate New York.
As dusk descended, the steamy aroma of her soups, stews, and casseroles would waft out the kitchen vent with sharp contrast to the dry frigid air. Deeply inhaling the moist aromas of mom’s meals is a memory that will live with me forever.
Passionate About Food!
Watching my mom and grandmother (Oma) cook, and smelling the comforting aroma of their food inspired within me a love of life. To this day, I love to the process of creation ― including creating, cooking, and baking with food.
I love to be involved with my meals – planning the menu, gathering the ingredients, experimenting with new combinations. There’s the physically rewarding experience of dicing vegetables, enjoying the comfort of the aromas released during the sautéing process, and elating in the joy of sharing and eating the final outcome. There’s even pleasure in cleaning everything up afterwards. I’m so incredibly fortunate to have an abundance of colorful, fresh, healthy food available.
Increased Sensory Awareness = Thinner Body
So many people eat without truly being aware of their actual eating experience. If you are looking to live a great life, develop a deep and satisfying mind, body, and spirit relationship with yourself, or create a new balance with weight, then consider paying attention to the joy available in your eating experiences!
New research from the University of Michigan reveals that people who gain more pleasure from their eating experiences are least likely to gain weight over time. In addition, obese people tend to get less pleasure from eating than thinner people do.
“Kent Berridge of the University of Michigan studies how the brain responds to food — and the anticipation of food. He calls the new research exciting because it helps explain the difference between ‘wanting’ and ‘liking’.
By ‘wanting,’ Berridge means craving something: the anticipation of something delicious. ‘Liking’ refers to the pleasure that comes from actually tasting it.” In other words, overweight people spend more time thinking about food, while thinner people think less about food but enjoy it more.
Experience Your Life!
Even if you are trying to lose weight or be healthier, get out of your mind’s logical ideas of calorie counting and obeying the latest “science” of food. Instead, give back control of your body to your body. Your body was born with an ability to heal and be healthy and to enjoy. Begin listening to the language of your body.
Pay attention to your innate preference for color, flavor, sweetness, saltiness, crunchiness, and tartness. Be newly aware of where certain foods activate specific flavor areas of your tongue. Be present as you chop vegetables, stir batter, or fry an egg. Share the love that you are with your actions of cooking, eating, and digesting.
Consciously smell your food. Enjoy visually appealing food. Be aware as you eat your food. What actually feels good in your mouth, in your stomach, and in your intestines – both now and later?
By gaining presence and participation with the food you are experiencing, you increase appreciation for your body, your senses, and what it actually means to enjoy your life.
About the Author: Want to learn more about how to live consciously, love deeply, and laugh often? Come along with Dr. Annette Colby and learn the secrets to creating the life you’ve always wanted to live! Subscribe to her blog Divine Self! today.
