Five Senses Eating Method

“Do you enjoy eating using the five senses?” 

 

I enjoyed dinner the other day at an Asian restaurant with my favorite friend.  I ate mi goreng which tasted very good. It reminded me the day I ate mi goring when I traveled to Indonesia when I was a student. 

Since the dinner was so fun and the food was very good I forgot to take the photo! 

 

It is good to eat nutritious food. But that’s not enough. 

Eating happily with someone you like becomes a good nutrition for the mind and body.

You don’t have to eat at an high-end restaurant. When you enjoy delicious food, anywhere is fine! 

Even with the same meal, the absorption rate of nutrients will change if you eat something while watching TV or while you enjoy tasting food. 

When you enjoy delicious food, your brain is stimulated and it produces brain chemicals such as β-endorphin or dopamine. They are also called “happiness hormone”. 

When those chemicals are produced in your brain, gastric acid and digestive enzymes are also produced then those help absorb nutrients effectively. 

You feel happier when you eat someone you like rather than you eat alone. 

Some of you might often eat alone. 

But there is a good way you can enjoy eating much more even though you eat alone. 

I call it “Five Senses Eating Method”, not vaguely but feel it consciously.  

 

１．Vision

I think it’s better to say “Observe”, instead of just “See” the food. 

For example, when you eat a strawberry, observe it well before you eat it. You see the green seeds outside the strawberry, the inside has a whitish color in the middle and the appearance on the outside is a pure red. When you eat, you will see the taste of each part of the strawberry is different. 

Especially fruits and vegetables are interesting for observation. 

 

２．Smell

When I come home from work in the evening, I smell dinner which my neighbors cook. That smell works up my appetite. 

Do you remember the smell of meat when you do BBQ’s with your family? The memory of smell lasts long in your brain and it is very easy to remember. 

But have you ever smelled well the ingredient itself instead of after cooking?

Try onion. You remember the smell of onion after its cooked, but you might have never smelled the onion before cooking.

The skin smells like autumn falling leaves, and the buds has fresh scent. You will discover a new smell and it’s so fun. 

 

３.Touch

I recommend you to touch many different kinds of food before you cook it. 

Tomatoes have very smooth baby-like skin. Kiwi fruits have fuzzy skin.  

And when you eat, you find that each food has a different feeling. It is natural, but you might have never felt it consciously.

The food’s feeling in your mouth is different in different shapes.  

Try cutting daikon radish in matchstick sizes and cubes and eat them. You must feel the cubes more juicier and sweeter. 

The different touches lead different tastes. It’s really interesting. 

 

４．Taste

Taste the food without any seasoning.  

You must especially try fresh vegetables without dressing, mayonnaise etc. 

Is there any taste without seasoning? Of course, there is. 

You might have never tasted food without seasoning. But once you try, you realize every food has its own unique, delicious taste. 

It is the same with people. You don’t have to try to look nice, sometimes it is good just to be natural. 

 

５．Hearing

Have you ever listened carefully to the sound when you eat? 

When you eat fresh celery, it sounds crunchy. When you eat baked sweet potatoes, it’s usually hot, so you hear the sound of yourself exhaling.

Also the sound is different between the first bite and the last bite before you gulp it down. 

You eat food every day, but you might have never noticed it. 

It’s the same with music, when you eat food there are different rhymes, tones and dynamics. Listen carefully. 

 

So, do you think you can enjoy food more using the five sense eating method from now on even though when you eat alone? Using the five sense eating method consciously, you will discover some wonder and your meal time should be more fun. And you can avoid eating too much. 

Beyond any doubt, you enjoy much more when you eat with your family, friends or loved one. 

You can start eating healthy much more casually and comfortably than you think. You don’t have to think too much about a complicated meal plan. 

Start the five sense eating method from today.