Among them, there is a Chinese version titled: “Learning How to Eat Rice”, I find this title extremely appropriate, because after reading the book, I have a feeling that many of us have eaten rice our whole lives, but truly do not know how to eat rice.

Why so many people do not really know how to eat rice

Firstly, many of us eat rice, but our taste buds have not fully opened up, that is because we often eat blindly, we do not truly savor the food. I recall how many times I went out to eat with friends, while eating I was talking, continuously shoving food into my mouth, or while eating I was watching a movie, for example, feeling like any food in sight should be grabbed and stuffed into my mouth immediately, as if eating was just a ritual to fill the stomach. In reality, our taste buds have not experienced the beauty of the meal, just as Confucius said long ago: "The one who knows the taste is rare," meaning that many people eat rice, but few know how to eat.

Secondly, the stomach often reacts late. Have you ever felt self-reproach, thinking that you shouldn’t have eaten so much today, your stomach is bloated after eating, making you uncomfortable all day? You know why? That’s because your stomach was already full, but you didn’t realize it, so you kept eating uncontrollably, which is why you felt so stuffed, and in the end, you wasted a lot of food and lost the pleasant feeling after eating.

Thirdly, do you often feel guilty after eating? You are determined to lose weight, have you ever found yourself in a situation where you eat little during the day, but overindulge at night? According to a study, human willpower is higher during the day than at night, but many of us can eat little during the day, just salads, low-fat foods, but by night, willpower is depleted, making it impossible to resist sweet, rich foods, so we end up ordering snacks home. When feeling hungry, we think, "Just this once," how can I sleep if I’m too hungry? Tomorrow I’ll start my diet again, and then after eating, we feel uncomfortable, feel like we’ve gained weight, and guilt suddenly floods in. This vicious cycle keeps repeating, and the most important thing is that we have made eating, something that is inherently beautiful in life, suddenly become so uncomfortable and painful.

In a survey, it was found that on average, each of us makes 200 to 300 decisions each day about what to eat, but out of those 200 or 300 decisions, how many do we consciously keep? It seems that most of the time we see food and unconsciously grab a piece and put it in our mouth. That’s why we cannot feel the goodness that comes from food, moreover, with over 200 such decisions every day, it always gives us a bad feeling, that we don’t know what to eat, what we should eat, and even we choose to eat things that make us feel heavier. These are the reasons why many of us do not truly know how to eat.

Mindful Eating - The Real Way to Eat

The book I am introducing to you today will teach us how to truly eat, which is mindful eating. Everyone has heard a lot about mindfulness books, but what is mindful eating? The core of it is to help us truly befriend food and feel the joy of enjoying our meals every day, so that eating, which occupies a large part of our lives, becomes more beautiful and meaningful. This book will guide you on that; eating is not just a matter of willpower, embrace the food, do not resist. Many of us spend most of our time worrying about food and our weight, what should I eat today, what should I not eat, when to eat, how much to eat, and how this affects my weight.

Therefore, there is always an internal police force within us, ready to correct our mistakes daily, directing and scolding us every time we put a cookie in our mouth, to force ourselves to lose weight. You must avoid all tempting things, from sweets, you do not allow yourself to see cakes, or to avoid overeating, before eating you must drink a lot of water, or instead of taking a normal bowl, you replace it with a very small bowl. You can do these things with willpower and determination, but during that process, are you really happy or do you feel miserable?

Through investigations, the author finds that most of this is just a temporary measure, or you will form a new habit. However, when you see a cake right in front of you, when you are forced to go to a restaurant, to eat with others, and everyone is eating cake, you will immediately eat and repeat old habits. That’s why the author tells us that eating is not a matter of willpower, eating is definitely not a matter of strength or determination. Instead of forcing yourself to resist food, you should open up a scientifically adjusted eating regime, allowing yourself to eat anything you want.

Truly Immerse Yourself in the Taste of Food

Remember that it is best to eat only when you truly feel hungry. Today, when you come home, do not rush to eat rice, you can practice waiting for hunger to rise and feel that gnawing hunger before eating. Pay attention to eat only when you are truly hungry, this is the method proven to be the healthiest way to eat. When you feel hunger, you will focus more on each bite, eat slowly, which will open up your taste buds, allowing you to savor the flavors better, and quickly feel full without overeating. But some of you might say that we can’t always wait until we are hungry to eat, that’s true, many of us eat for various reasons.

1. Firstly, we eat unconsciously, seeing food we immediately put it in our mouths, but in reality, at that moment we don’t really want to eat, and often we eat while scrolling on our phones, completely unaware of the actual taste, and just like that, we finish eating without realizing it.
2. Secondly, we eat just because we crave it. According to the author, this craving mostly comes from memories, a memory from a crispy pork belly dish that my mother used to make for me when I was little, or a memory from snacking at a certain time of the day.
3. Thirdly, we eat due to social pressure. There are evenings when you still have to replace your boss to entertain clients, attend parties, or friends invite you out to eat, for birthdays, you feel uncomfortable because unplanned weight loss events keep coming up, forcing you to eat.
4. Lastly, another reason is that you eat just to comfort your spirit. For example, on the occasion of a pay raise, you have to go out to celebrate, or today I feel too sad, I need to have some chicken and beer to relieve stress right now.

All the reasons I mentioned above can lead you to overeat, and then the joy will pass, the sadness cannot be alleviated, resulting in you still complaining about your weight after eating.

This book does not require us to eat only when hungry, but mainly advises us that: No matter what reason you want to eat, just eat, embrace the food, and do not resist it. Instead of forcing yourself not to eat, to eat less, let your inner wisdom guide you: Do I really want it? Do I really not know it? Am I really hungry? Can I still enjoy it? If you really crave a piece of cake, break off 3 to 4 bites to enjoy, then stop. Do not use your rational mind to resist when you truly want to eat, focus on chewing slowly and fully savoring that piece of cake, then put the rest down.

When you fully enjoy and focus entirely on the cake, you will feel that just 3 to 4 bites are enough to feel very satisfied as if you have eaten a full meal, and importantly, it does not cause discomfort to your body. You will find joy in enjoying the flavors of food, not letting sweets control you, making you eat without being able to stop, eating one thing after another. Eat what your body instinctively tells you it wants, truly understand the reasons you consume food, and feel more about yourself, listen to your body’s needs, listen to your mind. Only you can understand your body, not anyone else. Mindful eating is a method that pays attention to your mental and emotional state, helping you gradually focus more on yourself. Focus on the great benefits of short meditation before and after eating; focus is the core element in mindful eating, and focus will lead you to a state of mindfulness.

I hope you can set aside your worries and the troubles around you to truly feel how you eat, how important it is in your life. Basically, we eat 3 meals a day, and we have spent a lot of time in our lives on eating. So if you want to live a meaningful life, this is an important aspect that makes your life meaningful. Finally, I wish each of us can feel the food, eat mindfully, to truly live fully every second and every minute.