Rules of Edible Engagement

“Eat Food, not too much, mostly plants” is what our species has done for hundreds of thousands of years. It’s good universal advice that is timeless & has been proven effective.

Don’t eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food. Eat food that comes from a plant, not made in one. Food that doesn’t need a label is what nature intended. Pluck it off the vine, off the tree, up from the dirt if ya can.

If you are gonna choose to eat meat, treat it like a treat, eat it once a week. Consider dairy alternatives. Purchase only local organic humanely farm raised fare. Regard seafood as sacred. Behave accordingly.

Eat deliberately to enjoy & savor texture, flavor & the moment to moment experience. Eat s-l-o-w-e-r. Take your time. Try to spend as much time enjoying the meal as it took to prepare it. Appreciate your bites. Chew mindfully. Pick out a smaller plate, bowl or cup. Eat in smaller portions. Stop before your full.

Enjoy food in good company. Eating is a celebration with others, a tribute to your health. Recognize in the moment how food is serving your nutritional needs. Praise the beauty of its nourishment. There is pleasure in eating. Sit, cherish, relax & chew cheerfully.

Be in bright spirits with merry thoughts. Cultivating a relaxed, non-punitive attitude toward food is essential to the dissemination of nutrients & the assimilation of their benefits. Being anxious about eating is not the ideal. Make your everyday default practice, one that is nurturing.

“All things in moderation, including moderation” —Oscar Wilde.

That said… break the rules once in a while. Go ahead & share dessert with guiltless zest!

Eat many colors. Propose a toast. Say grace. Always tip your server generously & always hug the Chef! Bon appetit! Cheers!

#FrenchParadox

Namaste

JZapp 🙂

Inspired by:

In Defense of Food PBS Documentary Film by: Michael Pollan