A page from the Italians

After cycling class on Monday a few of us became engaged in a conversation about our Mother's Day food indulgences. It turned into a conversation about Italians and their daily indulgences. They (Italians) eat rich food, drink plenty of wine, and always have dessert. But, somehow the Italians don't have the weight and health issues as Americans. Hmm...How is this possible? Here's what I think...

For starters, they eat fresh, seasonal food. No processed, boxed stuff. If it's not fresh, local then no-go.

• They take their time with their food. There's no rush -- no half hour lunch breaks and then zip back to the office to sit. Their meals can go on for hours.

• They eat their meals in courses. The food is served on separate plates. One dish at a time. By eating, one dish at a time, they're concentrating on the goodness of each dish. Also, this means the food has time to digest.  

• Eating is social. It's about catching up on the day's events, laughing, and enjoying one another and the food. No sitting in front of a computer or TV and eating solo. No. No. Food is about togetherness. Nothing like a meal shared.

• They walk -- everywhere. Repeat: They walk -- everywhere.

• And finally for the Italians -- it's quality over quantity. No big gulps. No super-size. No massive plates piled high. The food they eat is excellent so they don't feel the need to overindulge. They are not gluttonous.

Italians indulge daily -- in food, excellent food, conversation, laughter, and they walk everywhere their feet will carry them.

Eating Ourselves to Death

Last weekend, at a family gathering I watched on as my aunt piled up plate after plate of food. I thought, my goodness she would have to be full by now. I mean, seriously she had eaten enough for a full day's worth of calories. At one point, she even declared she was full. Stuffed. Just a little while later though I found her eating a cupcake. Huh? I'm confused. Didn't she just say out loud that she was full? Stuffed, even? Sadly, I know all to well about this type of behavior. Unfortunately, too many Americans know about over consumption of food. We are a country rich with resources, the land of the plentiful. Food is so easily accessible. We no longer are conscious of why we're eating. Or what we're eating. We just eat.

Watching my aunt overeat brought back bad memories of my days of abusing food. I use to eat just to eat. The food tasted so good - I just could not stop until I was so full I would feel ill. Yuck. That is so gross. I'm so glad to say, however, I NEVER overeat anymore. Now, don't get me wrong I still eat for enjoyment, but I'm always mindful of my food combinations - I am eating to live. Also, I never overindulge. No longer will I eat more than the recommending serving. One of the things I tell myself when I'm eating is I get to have more later. There's no need in me stuffing myself. If I'm hungry later, there'll be more. That type of self talk really helps me to appreciate food more. When I eat just until satisfied, the food is actually more enjoyable. 

Last summer, my daughter and I went to a French bakery where we enjoyed the BEST Almond Crossiants and Espresso. We both become full, but we had a few bites left and a swig or two of coffee. That experience was a huge turning point for me, I looked to her and said "If I eat these last bites, it will ruin the whole experience." We both left the few bites on our plates and coffee in our cup. We made a conscious effort to just stop. Realizing that we could have more later. It may not be later today, or this week, but someday we would get to eat another Almond Crossiant. 

Although, it's a rather simple philosophy, I realize it still may be hard to grasp for those who have an overeating problem. There's probably a lot of issues that have led to the abuse of food. Trust me (remember I use to weigh 388 lbs.) -- you really can eat more later. So next time you're about to eat one bite too many. Stop. Remember, eat to live. That doesn't mean you can't enjoy food. After all, it was written: "Eat, drink, and be merry." Let us not be gluttonous.


This article may be a helpful start: http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/overcoming-overeating