Mindfulness and savoring 77 beholder as well as their stomach. Americans thought they were not getting value for their bucks and could often be heard complaining in French restaurants,‘ Excuse me waiter but someone has stolen most of my meal’. Well, Americans got what they asked for and they got fatter – and I suspect health insurance premiums have soaked up the savings they made in the restaurants! There is no doubt that North American portions are great value. While visiting a few years ago we would routinely find that for our family of four a main meal and a salad was enough to feed all of us for the day – wonderful when traveling on a budget! Asking ourselves the Third Zen Question( 3ZQ) before we eat, and then throughout the meal to keep us mindful of how hungry we are feeling, is the key to keeping portion size down. It is almost impossible to eat less if we feel hungry or think we feel hungry because it is mealtime, but often, we have not really checked in with our body. If you are hungry when you start to eat then it is important to notice the point at which you feel sated or full. As we have discussed, having an entrée, especially soup, to start with is a good way to bring your hunger under control. It is very easy to think you are still hungry after you have started to eat when, in fact, if you were to check in with your body you would find you are not. Ask the 3ZQ frequently. It takes a couple of seconds and literally no energy at all – especially if you just think it rather than say it out aloud! To get in the habit you might ask it a dozen or more times of yourself in the course of a meal. If you are interested in being more mindful generally then ask yourself the two Zen questions as often as you remember to. But when you are eating good food 3ZQ is a must. Let’ s now turn our understanding of mindfulness to savoring food itself. The mindfulness exercise This is an exercise I do in my workshops that initially frustrates the participants as I ask them to do something a bit odd – eat food that is really fattening. As we break for morning tea I will clearly say to the