Are you mindful when eating?

Food. An important part not only in the animal world.

As a penguin I have fat around my belly by nature, however, in my particular case, it might be also caused due to the fact that I love to eat.

Even in my previous “home” I was regularly fed by tourists with various things, here and there they threw something for me to eat, but since I moved to my new home things changed for me dramatically.

Now I can eat anytime and how much I want. My owners share with me everything they have and I tried so many things and look forward to all the delicious things ahead of me I have not tried yet.

Even though my diet is quite healthy, I have a Darth Vader in my life causing all the trouble for me and he goes by the name sweets.

What concerns me is the human habit of eating. I already observed a lot of human behavior and while focusing on food and eating I came to the conclusion humans look at food as a commodity not necessary for survival. Eating is a biological process fundamental for the growth and functioning of the body for both humans and animals, yet I see many humans live to eat and not the other way around.

Humans look at food as a commodity not necessary for survival.

Humans reach out for food for many reasons.

There are times when they are not in a physiological need for food and they eat anyway – eating out of boredom. The Japanese even have a word for it – “kuchisabishii”, it literally means “lonely mouth” or “longing to have or put something in one’s mouth​.” People use this word a lot to mean eating when bored.

Guilty myself, I eat many times out of boredom and look at my belly. On the other hand, I am a penguin, after all, my job is to look cute and puffy.

Humans often connect food with the magic box of moving pictures called a television. Whenever is the TV running there is food on the table, mostly snacks.

Flippers on your heart, when was the last time you tried not to have any snack while watching TV?

Another reason humans reach for food is when they are distressed or sad, so-called emotional eating. They look at the food and see it as something that will help them with their problems and they stuff down the feelings together with the food.

There is even an organization focusing on slow eating called Slow Food founded by Carlo Petrini in Italy. It is a part of the Slow Movement culture about the cultural shift towards slowing down life’s pace.

Next time a dish is in front of you think about the food, think about the people who prepared the food, thank for the food you have in front of you, enjoy it, smell it, focus on the texture, think about the various flavors, chew it properly.

Be mindful when you eat.

I am an animal, but sometimes when I observe humans, especially near fast-food chains, and how they stuff food down their throats with the risk of choking, they look wilder than any animal I know.