Nutrition Vs. Nourishment
'Nourishment' is an interesting concept: it is the physical sense of taking in a satisfying experience and allowing it to become a part of you, whether that's at the level of food that feeds your body, ideas that feed your mind, or even experiences that feed our soul. Appreciation and enjoyment of what we ingest differentiate nourishment from just nutrition, ideas from facts, and a moment from an experience. Appreciation and enjoyment transform and alchemize simple nutrients into deep nourishment. While nutrients may fuel you, nourishment feeds your whole body and spirit; luckily they aren't mutually exclusive! Does your body experience physical nourishment every day when you eat? Our senses are the gateway into appreciation.
What does the experience of physical nourishment feel like? I experience physical nourishment as a whole being satisfaction, satiation, and wholeness that resonates much deeper than the tickle of tastebuds. For me, when I finish a meal and feel well nourished - warmth, openness, and even happiness spread and brighten into my eyes, head, limbs, and whole body… leaving me feeling at peace and squarely in the present moment. Another bite of anything more wouldn't add to my satisfaction, but may actually detract from it!
As Americans, I find that we think in very scientific and reductive culinary terms, such that we create meals that may be over-flowng with nutrition, but do not necessarily engage and prime the senses - they often don’t look enticing, smell delicious, or taste good, but we think that the important thing is that they are “good for us”. This happens when we make meal decisions based soley on what we think we should eat, which inevitably doesn’t take into full account what our bodies may crave, need, or want, as well as on the other extreme: meals loaded with appeal, but lacking in substantive nutritional value. Both extremes contribute to Americans having the highest rate of obesity among developed nations. One characteristic of obesity is leptin resistance. Leptin resistance is an inability to feel full, satisfied, and nourished. Fall is my favorite time to slow down and begin moving at the pace of body time, food-making and deeper food-appreciation again, where pondering food, enjoying food and food preparation take on larger portions of time, so that I begin to re-engage those deeper sensations of satisfaction, appreciation, and nourishment.
SOME TIPS TO TRANSFORM NUTRITION INTRO NOURISHMENT:
-Cook it! Cooking food breaks down the components so that together they can become something newly delicious that’s easier for our bellies to digest, and begins enticing us with delicious aromas that begin the digestive process.
-Be intentional: I find that thoughtfully and intentionally created meals require less food to feel equally satisfied. Using recipes can be helpful here, especially if you’re new to cooking!
-Take time to enjoy the meal; don’t eat on the go!
-Have a dinner buddy! Make your meal into an enjoyable experience, by finding other ways to appreciate it, like enjoying it with good company : ).
-Eat 2-3 square meals, rather than graze: Aim for real satisfaction and satiation with each meal, so that you don’t just wish you were parked in front of the food pantry all day wondering what will give you a brief hit of satiation.
-Include enough fat in your meals: fat is necessary for our bodies, as well as inviting deeper and longer satiation.
-Aim to engage all of your senses with your meal and be present: a beautiful or colorful presentation, delicious and enticing aromas, flavorful with different flavors (like salty, sweet, sour, bitter) invites all of the tastebuds to open, and create an inviting environment…
Mmmmmm…. N’joy!