Don't Overlook Lunch
Making time to eat a proper lunch daily has been challenging for me. I met with Glenys Oyston, an amazing Intuitive Eating aligned dietitian recently and one of my goals she and I came up with is to put lunch back on the table (pun intended). I pretty much have been paying lip service to the meal since my 20s. Upon reflection, I realized there are a lot of societal reasons for this:
When I was working, having lunch at your desk was a sign of productivity, dedication and efficiency. I rarely took lunch–I inhaled food while I worked, and did so with pride. At least I had lunch which was more than what many of my colleagues did.
When my kids were little, I had lunch while feeding my kids. Probably grabbing some chicken nuggets off their plate or eating quickly during their nap so I could take a nap too or get something done.
When my kids were in school all day, I downplayed lunch. Only a privileged few women went out to lunch, I didn’t have that kind of excess cash or time to go out to lunch like that.
Lunch was the one meal where I only needed to worry about myself. And lord knows, prioritizing my own hunger was not encouraged. If I only needed to feed myself, I would do it in the most efficient way possible. Lunch was an afterthought, minimized, a luxury I didn't deserve.
When you see how European countries respect lunch (some places even follow it up with a siesta), you realize what we Americans are missing. Lunch is leisurely, enjoyable and social. A great way to take care of yourself and slow down in the middle of the day. Lunch is built into the fabric of their culture. It should be a priority, not a luxury for a lucky few.
Since working with a nutritionist, I have put a lunch break into my calendar every day. Clients cannot book a session during that hour. When I have lunch with a friend, I book a 2 hour lunch to allow for commuting time, and give a generous amount of time to sit, eat and catch up.
Adding lunch into my days has had a bigger impact than I expected. I don’t get famished before dinner, I have more energy and shockingly, adding a satisfying lunch into my day has solved my digestive issues. By feeding myself with kindness and generosity just for me, my body is calmer. My body knows it will be fed with love in a consistent and predictable manner. I don’t need to wait until dinner to be fed well, it will be fed lovingly throughout the day.
I also am forced to slow down and feed myself rather than multi-task. Adding lunch with friends on occasion into my week has opened up opportunities to connect with others and to feel taken care of. It limits the amount of cooking and cleaning I do as well. Meeting with a friend allows me to take a break from doing 10 things at once.
Taking time for lunch is a gift we can give ourselves. Think about your lunch practice. Have you been undervaluing the importance of this meal? What would making time for it do for your mental and physical health?
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