Make a Meal of Your Food

I sometimes watch Bob eating his food. It is fascinating to see. Sometimes he will start off eating eagerly, gobbling down a few mouthfuls. At other times he will inspect it carefully, sniffing and staring at it, as if checking its quality.

When he takes a mouthful, he makes the absolute most of it. He chews away for minutes sometimes, especially if it’s a meaty treat that he particularly enjoys. It’s as though nothing else matters at that precise moment. As if this is the most important thing in the world. It is a lesson for us.

Doctors, dieticians and wellness experts say that we need to relish and enjoy our food more. There are, apparently, massive benefits to slowing down and relishing every mouthful of food, every sip of a drink. That’s because, by paying proper attention to the flavours, smells and textures of what we put in our mouths, even concentrating on the mechanics of eating, it can make us more aware of the sensations that make us feel alive. It can soothe our bodies, lift anxieties and stresses.

Maybe Bob knows this already. Perhaps that is why he puts such importance into eating his food.