Last week, when I was visiting friends in Ireland, we went to a bike café for lunch called Pedals & Boots. It’s an interesting place that serves meals and also rents bikes. The menu even had a note that said something like, “If you eat too much, you can work it off – we rent bikes!” It was funny, but it also highlights a potentially dangerous mindset. The idea that eating to excess is okay because you can just work it off with exercise. Except it’s not usually that simple. Energy drain For one thing, if you’ve overeaten by a lot, odds are you won’t want to do much exercise. These days, I don’t often overeat to this extent, but I did at one point on the trip. It happened on Friday morning bef
Food has an incredible way of connecting us to our past, in so many ways. But I admit I hadn’t thought of some of them until reading Fluff: The Sticky Sweet Story of an American Icon by Mimi Graney. Now, in case you’re not familiar with Marshmallow Fluff, it’s a sweet, sticky, spreadable, fluffy mixture made of just four easy ingredients: eggs, vanilla, corn syrup, and sugar. Durkee-Mower started producing Fluff in Somerville, Massachusetts in 1920, and it’s become iconic in New England. In fact, 50% of the sales are here. If you live in other states, you might only find it seasonally, or not at all. But since I’ve only lived in Maine and Boston, I never realized I lived in a “fluff bubble.”
Let’s face it. Eating mindfully is very hard to do in a social setting. In fact, I’m not even sure it’s possible. Does this mean you shouldn’t even try to pay attention when you’re eating with family and friends? Or that you’re doomed to a life of eating alone? No, and no. As with most things, it’s possible to find middle ground. Since it’s not always easy to identify, though, I thought I’d share some tips I’ve picked up over the years. Tip 1: Set an intention Before you even go to the event, think about what you want to get out of it. After all, if it’s a social event, generally the focus is on being social. If you’ll be with family and friends, maybe your goal is to enjoy the company, or v
Note: I mention the goal of getting to 10,000 steps in this piece, and in case you’re curious about the background of this idea, here’s an article with some information and some thoughts on if it makes sense as a goal. Last week I talked about why you don’t need to earn the right to eat. And I mentioned how fitness trackers can cause problems on that front. As a follow-up, I thought I’d share a little about my experience with the pedometer on my phone. And how I’m putting some distance between us. Getting Sucked In At first, using a tracker seems harmless. Fun, even. You’ve got this device in your pocket or on your wrist or wherever, and it tells you about your activity level. How many steps
