Today’s talk centers around paying attention. If you discover that you’ve eaten a whole bowl of popcorn or a big bag of chips without even noticing, then you are definitely not paying attention. Let’s talk about some of the reasons this happens.

The first reason that this is much more likely to happen is when you eat for entertainment rather than for nourishment. It’s why one guy I know measures Girl Scout cookie portions in sleeves rather than individual cookies. His joke about tipping a whole sleeve of thin mints into his mouth definitely betrays a truism: when you eat something that has little or no nutritional value, you generally eat a lot more of it. This should make sense. Only nourishing food sends a signal to your brain that you’ve been well fed. Nobody drinks too much olive oil. But thin mints? Any time you find yourself measuring cookie portions by the sleeve, that’s a clue.

Pay attention to the ingredients in the foods you choose. Everything on the list should be available for sale in the supermarket. If you can’t buy it there, then I would say it’s probably not Food. Also, remember to eat lots of Foods without an ingredient list. Like broccoli, carrots, eggs, and oatmeal. Nuts, lemons, herbs.

Think about the sources of your food. Did they come from across the ocean, across the nation, across the county, or across the yard? The sooner you get food into your mouth after it’s been picked, the more nutrients are preserved. This is a really good reason to eat Food in its season. Yes, I’m very happy that I get to eat spinach salad in January if I want, but I also know it’s not the same as the spinach I get in springtime.

Consider your reasons for eating. Are you hungry? ‘Cause if you’re not, put down that fork! Whether you’re about to eat a meal you’re not interested in, or you’ve already had enough, trust yourself! Step away, go for a walk. Stretch. Call a friend. Pull out a book. Do something, anything, but save that bite for later, when your need for refueling is going to make it tastes better. Remember that hunger is the best sauce.

I know it’s easier said than done, and I don’t have any magic tricks, whether for you or me. Strategies that work for some people include putting down your fork between bites, keeping a log of everything you eat, or going for a short walk after meals. Most of all, keep trying to trust your body when it is telling you something.