Stop & Eat

When was the last time you relaxed and enjoyed a meal for 30 minutes or more? When you savoured each bite, noting the acidity of a lemon or crunch of an apple? I often see people en route to work, shoving a muffin in two bites and washing it down with a latte. Eating should be a mindful and enjoyable experience, free of text messaging, TV watching, and magazine flipping. Just you and your fork baby.

I'm organizing an operation called stop & eat, effective immediately.

This mission was spurred by an incredibly overwhelming week. Everyday I was up between 5:30 and 6:15 AM, running to the gym, followed by the library, work, and/or Uni in one go. I had two Uni presentations, urgent deadlines, and an overflowing inbox, all whilst detoxing my kidneys. Perfect. My energy meridians were buzzing upside-down and sideways, multi-tasking without actually accomplishing much. Sensory overload.

The easiest way to re-channel my energy and focus was to fully "time out" during my meals. At lunch I shut down my laptop (difficult), turned off the music, and ensured my blackberry was on silent and out of sight. I designated 45-minutes to my lunch, and lunch alone. PS it was tasty and inspired by Miss Mamma Pea herself, whose book I'm expecting in the mail any day now.

Mini 'Meat' Loaf Muffins
Lightly adapted by Mamma Pea's Italian Style Muffin"Meat" Loafs
Yields 6 muffins

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup marinara sauce, jarred or homemade
• 1/4 cup flax seed, ground
• Two 14 oz cans kidney beans, drained & rinsed
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 3/4 cup oats
• 1 t. minced garlic
• 1T. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 T. water
• 2 T. nutritional yeast
• 1/2 t. dried oregano
• 1 t. dried parsley
• 1/4 t. cracked black pepper
• 1 T. Organic feta cheese, to garnish 

Method: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the marinara sauce and ground flax. Stir and set aside to thicken. In a large bowl mash kidney beans with a fork or potato masher until a chunky consistency (do not over mash). Add onion, garlic, oregano, parsley,Worcestershire sauce, oats, water, nutritional yeast, and salt/pepper. Stir to combine. Slowly mix in marinara sauce and stir to combine. Scoop mixture into a non-stick muffin tin and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the muffins are firm and crispy.

Serve with a simple spinach salad and sprinkle with organic feta cheese. A simple yet wholesome meal for lunch and or dinner. Note* must be enjoyed for 30-minutes or more ;)

I feel better now.

5 Reasons to Join Operation Stop & Eat

1. Less Stress
   Studies show that paying attention to our eating bring greater "mindfulness". In other words, rather than rushing through a meal, enjoy it.
   
   
2. Better Digestion 
   The slower you eat, the more you'll chew, thus the happier your belly for proper digestion! Rushing and or overeating can lead to indigestion, bloating, cramping, heartburn..basically, nothing fun.
   
   
3. Lose Weight
   Eating too fast contributes to mindless weight gain. Studies prove that it's not only what you eat, but how you eat. Watching TV or reading while eating stops your brain from getting proper signals about the food.
   
   
4. Rebel against being connected, all the time
   Sometimes it feels good, and down right rebellious, to disconnect from both your tech gadgets and online channels. Try it!
   
   
5. Truly enjoy your yummy food!
   Enough said.

45-minutes later I enjoyed a little dessert - organic mixed berry frozen yogurt. I prolonged the cool berry sweetness for as a long as it wouldn't melt. In total, I enjoyed a 60-minute lunch break with nothing but the sound of my chewing. I think I broke some kinda record, no?

"One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating" - Luciano Pavarotti and William Wright, Pavarotti