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May 13, 2006

"We can be aware, when we chew the food, or when we look deeply into the food: we can see the ingredients, the elements that have come together to produce that food." --Thich Nhat Hanh

More Nutritional Bang For Your Buck

Consider this the next time you force the nutrition in: researchers have found that food that's unfamiliar or unappetizing winds up being less nutritious than food that looks, smells and tastes good to you. Does this mean we should be reaching for the donuts and forgoing the raw cauliflower? No. The food has to have nutritive value in the first place. And how does the mind affect nutritive value? The explanation is found in the digestive process itself, in the relationship between the "second brain" — the gut — and the brain in your head. Delectable smells and sights tell your brain that food will be enjoyable, and the brain responds by pushing your salivary glands into high gear and ordering your stomach to secrete more gastric juices. Result: more nutritional bang for your buck.