Eating attentively aids in portion control and could also curb obesity. See how visual cues trigger and trick you in this article

When was the last time you had a satisfying meal?

By satisfying, I meant at least one or all of the following:

When your eyes lit up looking at the plate
When you chewed every morsel
When you realized the different textures
When the ‘Umami’ burst almost made you jump off the seat
When you felt the juices mix with food on your palette
When you identified that ‘game-changing’ ingredient in the sauce
When you just lay there with a smile, dreamy and thankful for the meal

A really long time ago… or maybe just a week back. It could be a simple home-cooked meal or the one from your favorite restaurant or shack. How was the experience different from any other? Let’s not count the ambiance here.

If you think carefully, this meal had all your attention. You weren’t using your phone, crunching numbers, ‘breaking the ice’, or staring at a game on mute. Not the usual ‘working lunch’ crap. Just that plate of food and you. You had a moment. And it’s not even funny. This forms the basis of a concept called Mindful Eating.

Eating is more to do with your mind than your mouth and stomach. Also to do with the visual (eyes), olfactory (nose), and tactile (touch) aspects. Out of all, the most interesting connection is the one between the vision and satiation. The trio, so to say, between your eyes, brain, and stomach.

Eating with your Eyes: Visual Cues, Satiation and Satiety

This trio- eyes, brain, and stomach- plays a significant role in satiation. One that has been very well explored by cognitive scientists and researchers. In a research study, 64 participants were served lunch in a “dark” restaurant. They dined in complete darkness- no ambient lighting. Half of them unknowingly received considerably larger portions. They ended up eating 36% more food.

Here’s the juicier (pun-totally-intended) part…

Despite consuming larger portions, the appetite for dessert in these participants was unaffected. Satiety had gone fishing. Moreover, they couldn’t estimate how much they actually ate when compared to a control group who ate the same meal in a well-lit setup.

In other words, lighting (which employs vision) is instrumental in satiety. Your eyes gauge the portion and nudge your brain when you’re getting full. This step completes the cycle of satiation after which you cannot eat more food- however tempting it be. This experiment also got me thinking (read realizing) why diners/restaurants have low or ‘dim’ lighting. Ahem!

When you eat attentively or mindfully, you eat relatively less and get full quicker. You also get to enjoy the colors, textures on your plate better. This is one of the reasons behind the popularity of ‘live’ counters or adding a visual story to your food. Everything and anything to trigger your brain.

A Gastronomic Paradox: Appetite Control and Satiation

Plating and presentation have employed and exploited the power of visual cues.

Let’s do the ‘employed’ part first.

Most memorable food and dining experiences capture your attention first. Like what a treat does to the dog.

A chocolate explosion (a pop, rather) on your tongue, a sizzling platter… some smoke from liquid nitrogen here, a little bling foil there… They all go a long way in enticing your brain!

Such elements engage your senses first- eyes/vision mostly. Your brain gets stimulated, you feel the mouth water, literally. You go for the first bite with all your senses keyed up.

Boom! Memory has been created. Now coming to the ‘exploited’ part.

The food industry also tricks you into eating what ‘they sell’ not what ‘you should’ be eating. How? By using extraordinary visual cues. All the junk or carb-rich food brands endorse color-enhanced advertisements to draw your eyes. It could be the dripping, molten cheese from a burger or crunchy fries laid in contrast with a bright-colored sauce. Gooey, fresh-outta-oven brownie fudge or a glass of bubbling drink. They remind your brain of the feeling when you eat those foods.

Cut to chase, there is a bucket of chicken wings staring at your face. Very high chances of it being empty and you still don’t feel satisfied! Satiety and satiation- both gone fishing.

Take Control: It’s all in the First Bite

It really is just the first bite. Instant gratification, in James Clear’s words.

The enigma gets busted after taking the first bite with hyped senses. Once this event is done, the next cue your brain gets is the stop or satiety cue. When you are not attentive or mindful, this cue gets missed or overridden. Then starts the downward spiral- overeating, obesity, and morbidity. But, here’s the bright side.

You can control your food intake using the same power of visual cues. Below are a few tips from Harvard Medical School that will make you conscious and mindful while eating:

• Set the table with good lighting, clean linen and cutlery
• Try eating with your hand once in a while. Ditch the cutlery
• Eat silently for five minutes.
• Think about what it took to produce that meal, from the sun’s rays to the farmer to the grocer to the cook.
• Look at your food before taking a bite
• Try eating with your non-dominant hand
• Use a smaller plate. Take small, multiple (if need be) servings
• Cook your meal- keep it simple. Watch how the ingredients transform
• If you eat out, choose healthier options
• Take small bites and chew well
• Learn what a serving size is. Restaurant portions usually contain much more food than we need

The aim is to engage, enjoy, but stay alert enough to stop. Don’t starve yourself altogether. It only backfires. Take very small, gradual steps to practice mindful eating. You will see subtle improvements in satiation and digestion. Understand and acknowledge the power of visual cues. Do it every day. In every meal.

Don’t multitask while eating. Everything can wait. Focus on your plate. Enjoy every morsel.

Be mindful. Be grateful.

Read more on Mindful eating and Visual cues here:

1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0195666310004666?via%3Dihub
2. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/distracted-eating-may-add-to-weight-gain-201303296037
3. https://www.choosemyplate.gov/ten-tips-enjoy-your-food
4. https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/health-topics/zx3292

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