Cleaning My Plate

I had an interesting conversation yesterday with a couple of co-workers, about being brought up to clean your plate.  That is so much a cultural thing for us here in the United States, that we don’t even realize it.  One friend was talking about being in a South American country – and every time she cleaned her plate, they would pile more food on it.  After several days, someone made a comment about how much Americans eat.  She was eating because they were piling food on her plate, and they were piling food on her plate because she was eating it all.  (In that culture, you leave some on your plate to signal that you are full and finished eating.)  A simple misunderstanding that could have been serious over time.  Once she understood THEIR culture, she was able to eat much less and be more comfortable.

The conversation made me wonder how many things we do that are cultural rather than necessary for nutrition.  Through the years, portion sizes have grown considerably, particularly in restaurants.  Then, because we eat so much when we eat out, we feel that we have to eat the same amount when we cook at home.  We eat in front of the television, so we don’t pay much attention to the food we are putting in our mouths.  We all live very busy lives, so we often eat in a rush, so much so that we don’t always give our bodies time to feel full – so we eat even more.  In fact, the more I think about it, the more it seems that we do very little in response to actual hunger and nutrition needs, and nearly everything in response to cultural and lifestyle standards.  No wonder this country is facing an epidemic in obesity!

This journey has forced me to be much more aware of “WHY” I eat instead of “WHAT” or “HOW MUCH” I eat.  And recognizing these cultural idiosyncrasies is a big part of my journey.  Sometimes, determining the “why” is uncomfortable, especially when it turns out to be for emotional reasons.  But I am healthier and happier because I have worked hard at this.

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.  Do not conform to the pattern on the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”  (Romans 12:1-2, NIV)