Finally, some information we can use. Here it is – the Tip of the Day from the American Dietetic Association:
Slow Down When You Eat
And when you drive too.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been being rammed up the you-know-what by somebody tailgating too close. And when I see them eating a burger at the same time, it’s all I can do to not slam on the brakes and shout, “Wake up, mister. You’re a hazard on wheels!”
It makes me wonder why we’re always in a hurry these days. I’m in a hurry all the time, and I assure you, it doesn’t get me anywhere any faster. If nothing, it increases the likelihood I won’t get there at all, steering like a maniac with one hand, putting on my mascara with the other, and avoiding tailgating, burger-eating maniacs all the while.
The ADA tip continues with the following suggestions:
While eating on the run is common for many of us, eating slowly may be better for your health and your enjoyment of food.
Food involves more of your senses than just taste. If you eat quickly, you might short-change yourself on the full experience: the visual presentation of the food on your plate; the combination of smells and the anticipation of goodness to come.
Always eat from a plate.
Sit at a table.
Eat only when you’re hungry.
Enjoy what you eat.
When you eat more slowly, you can better sense when you are full and stop before you overeat.
I guess.
I mean, it’s nice to sit at a table, but not essential, at least not three times a day. Besides, the problem isn’t so much that you’re standing, but what else you’re doing while you stand there. In Italy, it’s not uncommon to enjoy a snack standing upright at a counter, but the point is, you’re enjoying a snack, you’re not filing your taxes at the same time.
To eat from a plate isn’t a bad idea, especially if your in-laws are over, but always? What if you’re trying to get your in-laws to leave? Maybe then you’d skip the plate and pull out the vacuum cleaner. I don’t have any in-laws yet, but if I did and I wanted them to leave, I bet vacuuming with one hand and eating a leftover turkey leg with the other would at least put out the hint that Thanksgiving dinner is over.
I’m all on board for eating only when you’re hungry, and enjoying what you eat, but that makes it awfully hard to be a good guest. More useful in those situations, especially if you don’t like what they’re serving, is to “Be Sure to Take Your Napkin With You After You Spit Your Food Into It.”
But what kind of tip is that? Certainly not one any grant is going to pay for.
