Eating for Pleasure

I've begun to divulge into French Women Don't Get Fat, so far only a few chapters in I'm quite intrigued and my first eye opener that was given by Mireille as she narrates through her life; after being an exchange student from France to America for a year and gaining 20 lbs she shares her discoveries as she returns to her regular weight/size, was that eating is meant to be a pleasurable experience. From her experiences living in America her values of food and eating had changed from the impact of American values.
In France food is a pleasure, it is honored by being enjoyed at the table and every bite is savoured. There is no eating en-route in France, food is not FAST in France. French women indulge in pastry and rich meals however they pay attention to their portions and they eat only when hungry and only until they are full, because they treat meals as a special time and devote their time and attention on their food they are aware of how much they are eating and able to feel their body react to feeling full and so, they stop.

This is only the beginning of realization for Mireille (in her book) and also the beginning of mine!
I used to be terrible for eating infront of the t.v. wether it was at meal time or I was simply snacking and I would never pay attention to how much or how fast I would eat my food. At my worst moments this involves pizza, chinese take out, fast food, ect. on the lazy nights I decide not to cook. Because of this I would feel bloated and much too full to do anything after but lay there and continue to watch t.v.
Lucky for me (somewhat) our t.v. has been disconnected for the time being and we have not yet set it back up, I have quite enjoyed the time spent at the dinner table (what a concept...dinner at the dinner table!) and the time reading and talking with my family rather than somberly staring at a screen for hours on end. This is how it should be, t.v. should be a past time reserved for a limited time each week. Daily news, weather reports and an occassional show or movie should be the extent of our boob tube watching and trust me, you're not missing out on anything... you ARE missing out on a lot by living infront of the television instead of living your own life! I've realised this in the last little while and it's improved my relationship with D and little A :) Which to me is the best way to spend time!

Anyways back to eating, I vow to eat with purpose from now on. My purpose is to feed and nourish my body but also to taste my foods and enjoy the savoury experience of eating!

Between my promise to cut out red meat and my promise to eat for satisfaction I am hoping that I will arrive at a middle ground that proves to be healthy as well as satisfying. A little bit of naughy with a lot of nice!