sensual eating.

When I was younger, I used to not eat; and if I was eating, it's because I was stuffing my face with candy. Not only did I end up having more cavities than I'd like to admit, I was pretty unhealthy now that I look back on it. Fast forward to 2003 when my family and I moved to Vegas, I discovered the joys of eating and had eaten anything and everything. A little better than my semi-anorexia, but still unhealthy. Now that I'm a little older and a little more wiser, I've found the joy in eating appropriate portions of food that not only taste good but are good for me.

And then my staycation happened, and every meal during this past weekend left me feeling horrible and extremely tired. After feeling tired of feeling tired after every meal, I decided to try what I like to call "sensual eating." Yesterday morning, my parents and I had brunch at Brio. Since I decided to get back to my flexitarian diet, I ordered the spinach and portobello mushroom strata with a side of fresh, spring green salad. All the ingredients were healthy, so that made me feel good about my choice. While eating, I felt the need to really enjoy what I was eating. I don't know about you, but so often do I just fork my food into my mouth without really enjoying it. Even though you know the food tastes good, how often do think about each taste while you're eating? Well that's what I decided to do. I pretended to be Giada De Laurentiis, having foodgasms with each bite, or like Remy from Ratatouille when he's eating the cheese and grapes and imagining fireworks and music. I don't know if it was the food itself or my sensual eating, but I didn't feel the slightest bit of remorse or exhaustion when I was done eating, and I ate the entire thing.

Every meal after that, I put my sensual eating theory to work, and each meal thus far has been extremely delicious and pleasantly satisfying. It's nice to not have a case of the itis nor not feel the need to unbutton your pants after every meal.