As we gear up for the romance of Valentine’s Day, I thought it would be a great time to delve into the concept of sensuality, and the amazing benefits of living a sensual life. Don’t worry, this isn’t going anywhere kinky… Sensuality is simply defined as indulging in one’s senses, which is a wonderful way to boost confidence, beauty, promote weight loss, and be an overall sexier version of yourself!
Indulging in our senses in regards to food is an amazing way to enjoy eating more, while not over-eating. This promotes a much healthier relationship to food, and is a wonderful way to manage weight as well. Rushing through meals, eating while on the go, or while distracted by TV, computers, or even reading doesn’t allow our bodies and minds to really connect with the food we are eating. It takes more food to get the mind to register fullness, and often times, we don’t feel satiated or fulfilled after a meal. What a waste of eating!!
Next time you sit down to a meal, engage all of your senses to make the experience fulfilling, meaningful, and even sexy:
Sight: If you are eating a home-cooked meal (or even if you get take out), take the time to artfully arrange and plate your food so it is visually appealing. This can be a bit of a food ritual that prepares your mind and body for the meal that is about to come, and elevates eating to a more meaningful experience. Food is delicious, beautiful, and so fun to consume! Re-engage with the visual pleasure of eating before you dig in every day, and whether you are sharing a romantic dinner with a loved one, or eating a delicious lunch solo, your meal becomes that much more special and healthy.
- Obviously, using and consuming the highest quality food is also a big part of sight. Aim for many different bright colors, and a variety of foods on your plate. Sitting down to a dinner of fried, white foods devoid of nutrients isn’t nearly as satisfying as a beautiful plate of bright vegetables, whole grains, herbs and spices!
- Create a delicious little combination of foods, flavors and colors in every bite, and take time to appreciate the beauty of the food before it goes into your mouth! This literally helps your body get primed for digesting and enjoying every last bit.
- Set the table, light a candle, make every meal special, and the effects on your mood, mind, and waistline will be undeniable! And the romance of sharing a meal with your special someone, looking at their face as well as the beautiful food you’re eating, creates an air of sensuality that can even be a part of foreplay.
- Sound: Create a romantic environment for every meal. Eating should always be done in a relaxed, calm state. The TV blaring, while on the phone with your mom, and your roommate clicking away on her computer does not equal calm and relaxed! Turn off the TV and computer, silence your phone, maybe even put on some beautiful background music. Eating in this environment allows your body to focus on the sights, smells, and taste of your food, promotes healthy digestion, and helps you feel more full, which counteracts over eating!
- This is also a great way to elevate an average, every day meal into a romantic special occasion! Try it, pick a few nights this week and just sit down to a quiet, calm, distraction-free meal with your loved ones or just by yourself.
Touch: Were you told as a child to stop playing with your food? Well forget all of that. Many cultures believe that one cannot fully enjoy or experience their food without touching it. Eating with one’s hands can be a very sensual, spiritual, fulfilling, and connected experience!
- If you’re eating with a loved one, try feeding one another, touching the food, and placing it in the other’s mouth. The focus of this becomes indulging in the flavors and senses, instead of mindlessly gorging yourself on food. And admit it, a sexy lady eating with her hands is a pretty hot image… Use it as a way to feel confident and sexy in front of your partner!
- If you’re eating alone, well in that case there is no one watching! Go ahead and eat with your hands, savor the feeling of the food in your hands. Feeding yourself this way is an ultimate act of self-love.
- Smell: Well this one is a no-brainer when it comes to eating, yet it is so often neglected. Smelling your delicious and well-prepared food before you eat it has both practical and sensual benefits. First of all, it starts to prepare your body for food… You begin to salivate and your digestive enzymes get ready to secrete. This aids enormously in your digestive process, and can help combat over-eating, and make a meal so much for satisfying. It’s also very beneficial psychologically. The smell of delicious food is warming, comforting, and can be a huge boost to serotonin levels… It can literally make you feel happier!
- Obviously, a home-cooked meal is the best way to engage your sense of smell before and during eating. But even if you are eating out or ordering in, take a moment to observe and smell your food before eating it. If it doesn’t smell mouth-watering, you shouldn’t be eating it!! This is a great way to put more thought into what you put in your body!
- Taste: Clearly, this sense is the most obvious when it comes to eating, but also, one we often neglect when we are rushing through a meal or eating something blah just to eat. Every single thing we eat should taste vibrant and amazing. And we need to take the time to taste it at every meal. This means slowing down, chewing your food, and, again, putting care into what you are eating.
- Opt to chew every mouthful until the consistency of the food in your mouth is soupy. I know that doesn’t sound very appetizing, but when you’re eating delicious food, taking the time to enjoy every bite, letting the flavors meld together is a wonderfully sensual process. It is also incredibly good for your health, and super beneficial to looking your slimmest. Chewing your food takes the strain off your digestive system and breaks down everything you are eating, speeding up the process of extracting all the nutrients and getting it out of you.
- Secondly, and just as importantly, taking the time to really taste and enjoy each bite of your food allows you to indulge in those forbidden treats every once in a while and really make it count! Having a small slice of chocolate cake and really taking the time to slowly indulge and enjoy it makes the whole endeavor so much more meaningful, and helps you feel more satisfied… therefore allowing you to need those indulgences less often!
To go even further in the work of using our senses to achieve maximum health, beauty, and sexiness, I am teaming up with pilates instructor and movement coach, Flavia Bruni of Tools for Grace, so create a dynamic workshop focusing on eating, movement, grace, and sensuality… Just in time for Valentine’s Day! RSVP today to reserve your spot!
