Why it's actually okay to be a "messy eater"

Coming from Texas, growing up eating barbecue and brisket was basically a staple. But thinking about ribs today got me thinking about advice I was given a while back: “never eat something messy on a date or when you are trying to impress or befriend something. Two things you should never eat in public are ribs or spaghetti.” While I valued this advice at the time it was given, I have in more recent years learned to appreciate how healing it can be to approach the more sensory aspects of food. In the right settings, using your senses to become more in touch with food is completely acceptable and even intentional, and should be considered as a way to better connect with food. 

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Initially, it might sound silly to promote eating with your hands or “playing” with your food. However, growing evidence suggests this approach may be part of healing an unhealthy diet. 

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE USE OUR SENSES TO EAT?

The way our body responds to food, whether it be by taste, touch, sound, etc. elicits a response that interacts with our brains and other body organs in seconds to minutes after we are exposed to food. These responses are thought to potentially optimize the digestion and absorption of the nutrients we ingest, which is pretty incredible when you think about it (1). 

These kinds of responses are small and transient, or in other words they come and go frequently. Think about it this way: have you ever started drooling after seeing something appetizing? That response usually lasts only a couple of moments to minutes in length, and is usually satisfied once you ingest food. It’s often a prompt or sign associated with your body’s signals for appetite and the lack of feeling full.