An Apple a day- a touchy matter- if you may!!!

Dear readers, 

My heart smiles, every time I see you click the link and read my blogs. Nothing can bring more joy to a writer than their work being appreciated. Thank you for all the love that comes my way. And though our connection is via the internet, I can be 100% sure that if only I could meet you all in person, I would spread my arms to hug each one of you right back. 

A pat on the back, a caress of the arm—these are everyday, incidental gestures of the primary language of compassion, and a key means for spreading compassion. Touch is truly fundamental to communication and connections. 

Humans or animals- We all crave for loving touch.  

Touch is like mom’s unconditional love,  

Dad’s assurance,  

Elder brother’s protection and younger brother’s silly pillow fights,  Sister’s excitement,  

Friend’s trust and devotion and  

Partner’s intimacy. 

Our bodies also can differentiate a good touch from a bad one. 

Scientific studies show that touch calms cardiovascular stress and activates the body’s vagus nerve, which is intimately involved with our compassionate response, triggering the release of oxytocin, aka “the love hormone”. Touch makes you feel alive and creates bonds. 

By the way, have you ever tried creating that kind of bond and relationship with your food? Touch is an easier sense to think about when we are eating. Texture felt with your fingers, tongue, teeth, and palate, is constant evaluation to apply a force to the mouthful, calculating how easily it breaks down and flows in the mouth. 

Have you ever tried identifying the texture, the touch, and the feel of the food that you eat? The texture is what makes chunks of apple thick, chocolate brownies chewy, jelly slippery and slimy, or a biscuit crunchy. It helps us identify the freshness and crispness of vegetables.  

The food industry took food texturization as an area of challenge and increased opportunity for the development of new innovative textures. I have also heard of some gastronomical experiences like “dining in the dark” where the hospitality industry invites you to explore the full potential of your taste buds in a unique environment.  

But you don’t need to spend a bomb to achieve that experience. And that’s the exact notion of mindful eating habits. Why leave that to special events? Can we,  for those 20-odd minutes of our mealtime, just immerse ourselves into this tactile and kinesthetic experience and savor every morsel of sustenance that goes into our body and provides the necessary nutrition? 

Indians like me have been trained to eat with clean hands, since our childhood. I personally like warm (not piping hot) food. Fingers decide if it’s the right temperature of food to serve the mouth. The tactile receptors on lips, tongue, and palate help me perceive the food consistency while biting and chewing to decide how fast or slow each morsel needs to be chewed. The calorie and fat content of the food influences the palatability of the food and makes consumption pleasant. Cleansing it down with sips of herbal tea or water is a common practice and aids digestion.  

I try to go on this culinary textured journey most of the time and relish each mouthful. My suggestion to all of you out there, who have now signed up to be mindful in your food journey, is to try the tactile experience too.  

Cheers!!! 

About the blogger:  

Dr. Tabassum Inamdar is a dynamic Homeopath, a passionate artist, and an adventurer in life. From Medical corporate to Academics, she has balanced her left brain and right brain with equal passion for Art. She writes a series of blogs “An apple a day- your journey to a healthy way” in collaboration with @Fitaminat. A sketch artist since childhood, she is enchanted by theatre and writing. She is a regular theatre performer in Dubai. She continues life’s adventure by trekking, Sky diving, or Marshalling at Formula 1 tracks. You may stalk her @doctabu (IG) or say hello @tabu.inamdar (FB)