Sensory Eating

Do you Eat with your senses or sense what you're eating?

Do you choose your food based on what your body needs & wants and what you know will keep you healthy and then when eating it really see, taste, smell, touch and hear it or do you choose to eat someting based purely on what your eyes/nose/tongue are saying to you - ie because it looks, smells, tastes appealing?

Big fast food and soda companies spend large amounts of money on their advertising campaigns appealing to our senses knowing that many people will be attracted to their product because of it's sensory appeal.

How often, when watching television, reading magazines do you come across adverts and then suddenly think 'I fancy some....' and go to the fridge and get something to eat or drink?

How many times have you actually stopped to think am I hungry/thirsty? Do I really want this? ...and more importantly, what is the qualily of this so called 'foodstuff', is it healthy for my body or might it actually, in the long term, cause some harm?

Further to this, how many times do you find yourself eating more than your body actually needs or wants simply because you like the look or taste of something?

Sensory Eating is I believe, like a two sided coin, one side is eating consciously, using each of your senses to savour and enjoy your food, with the other side making your food choice based solely on one or more of your senses. Which do you do?

So here's my challenges to you,

1. Next time you notice that you 'fancy' a specific food whilst seeing it in an advert, stop and think for a minute about what is really going on for you? Why is it that you have a sudden desire for this? What is it that is making it so attractive right now?
2. Over the next week, choose one specific meal per day and consciously eat it using your senses. What do you notice?