Eat more more fruits and vegetables; eat less sodium, sugar and saturated fat. Americans are used to hearing advice like this — it’s even included in our government’s recommendations. So what if I told you health advice in some other countries is a little more, well, fun?
[See: Here’s How People in 8 Other Countries Stay Healthy.]
In Japan, for instance, one of the dietary directives is “enjoy your meals.” I propose Americans follow suit. You see, while we tend to believe that you have to choose between enjoyment and health when it comes to eating, there is a slew of evidence that eating-related pleasure, satisfaction and enjoyment are important components of a healthy diet. At the same time, negative emotions related to eating like guilt, fear, shame and judgment have real consequences for our health and well-being — and not just for social reasons. Here’s what happens when you enjoy the food you eat:
1. You’ll digest your food better.
Enjoyment tells the parasympathetic nervous system to trigger its relaxation response. This is the same system that gets your digestion going by relaxing the muscles in your gastrointestinal tract and increasing digestive juices. So when you are eating food that tastes good and brings you pleasure, you’re also triggering digestion. The opposite can happen as well: If you eat something that you don’t really want or like, or you feel guilty or ashamed while eating it, you trigger the body’s stress response. This partially shuts down digestion and can lead to insulin spikes, fat storage and gut issues like bloating, constipation or diarrhea.
2. You’ll absorb more nutrients.
When it comes to nutrient absorption, taste matters. A study looked at iron absorption when people from Sweden were given Thai food and people from Thailand were given Swedish food. In both cases, people absorbed less iron than when they ate the food from their native country, which they presumably enjoyed more. The study also looked at nutrient absorption when both groups were given the same meal, but blended into an ugly brown goo. In this instance, neither group absorbed much iron, likely because it was no fun to eat.
[See: Here’s What People Eat for Breakfast in 9 Other Countries.]
3. You’ll be satisfied with less.
There is a difference between feeling physically full and feeling satisfied. If you aren’t completely satisfied with the food you are eating, it becomes much easier to overeat. That’s because when you don’t get the pleasure you are seeking, your brain interprets that missed experience as hunger, so you continue to eat more and more in an attempt to feel satisfied. Satisfaction, however, is what really turns off the drive to eat. When you enjoy the food that you are eating, it is much easier to stop eating when you are full.
So how can you learn to enjoy your food in the name of — not in opposition to — health? Take a note from the Japanese and follow these tips. With some practice, you can figure out what foods give you the most pleasure and enjoyment — and your overall health will likely benefit as a result.
— Slow down and be mindful. When you eat quickly, you don’t give yourself a chance to really taste and enjoy the food. By slowing down and savoring your meal or snack, you will get more pleasure from it. Slowing down also helps you to better feel when you start to get full because your stomach has more time to signal to your brain that it’s had enough. This can make it easier to stop eating when you are comfortably full.
— Make a list of all the foods you enjoy eating. Taste is one factor of enjoyment, but it’s also about texture, temperature, smell or happy memories. Chips and salsa won’t be that enjoyable if you’re really in the mood for a warm, filling meal. A few foods on my list: fresh pasta in Little Italy, the texture of creamy gelato, the smell (and taste) of a just-baked New York City bagel and breakfast crepes that my family and I grew up making.
— Ask yourself, “What do I really want to eat right now?” This may be a hard question to ask, especially if you’re used to dieting, following food rules or eating the same things every day because you think you “should.” It will take some trial and error, so experiment with food choices and take note of how satisfied (or unsatisfied) you feel after eating each.
— Stop labeling foods as bad, indulgent or forbidden. When you think of foods as “bad,” eating them comes with a side helping of guilt and judgment. This guilt counteracts any pleasure you would otherwise feel, and makes it tough to enjoy the food. Plus, eating foods you enjoy but have labeled as off-limits often leads to overeating or bingeing because who knows when you’ll let yourself have those foods again (and what the heck, the day is already shot, right?). Changing your mindset and viewing foods as neutral allows you to make choices based on health, satisfaction and self-care, which increases the pleasure you feel.
[See: 6 Darn Reasons to Eat Sugar and Not Apologize for It.]
Some people worry that if they eat all foods they enjoy, they won’t ever make healthy food choices. But in reality, true pleasure and enjoyment lead to a healthy balance of nutritious foods and fun foods because ultimately, pleasure and enjoyment come from eating foods that both taste good and make our bodies feel good.
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Enjoy Your Food: It’s Good for Your Health originally appeared on usnews.com
