Miriam O. Ezenwa, PhD, RN, FAAN

What is a food ritual? It is a series of actions related to food eating behavior that an individual performs according a specified order. Food rituals are important because they help us form food habits. Once habits are formed, they become second nature to us and as such, less stressful to practice. We can form food rituals around breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Over the years, I developed food-eating rituals that have worked for me. As I learn more, I keep improving them. Below, I describe briefly my food ritual for dinner. It’s only an exemplar to give you an idea of what a food ritual looks like. Here you go:

1. I allow at least 30-45 minutes for dinnertimes.
2. I dish out small portions of food, making sure I have protein, carbohydrate, fruit, and vegetable.
3. Before I start eating my meal, I drink at least one glass of water. Why? Water is an appetizer for the cells moisturizing and enticing them to await nourishments.
4. I eat about half of my vegetable to fuel my cells with nutrients.
5. I drink about one quarter glass of water to continue to saturate the cells and allow them to absorb the nutrients from the vegetables more quickly.
6. I eat half of my protein to fortify my cells because protein is the building block of life.
7. I drink about one quarter glass of water to continue to moisturize the cells.
8. I stop eating for a minute to allow the food I had eaten to settle. This step will allow me to gauge how satisfied I am.
9. I eat about one quarter of my carbohydrate.
10. I eat all my fruit.
11. I drink about one quarter glass of water.
12. If I am not 80% satisfied, I eat more vegetable and protein.
13. I stop eating when I am 80% full. I know when I get to this point because my instinct is to eat few more bits. However, I know that I can live without eating more. Instead, I drink more water to fill myself up and help with digestion of the food.
14. If I have left over, it is usually carbohydrate.

This food ritual is very important to me because it gives me time to chew my food slowly and properly, allows my mouth to savor every taste of the food, and permits me to constantly dialogue with my body as it speaks to me. My job is to listen to my body and be grateful for opportunity to afford a meal to enjoy. Therefore, my relationship with food is intimate and reciprocal. It is also disciplinary because it strengthens my will to say no to certain foods that do not serve as medicine to my body.

How can food enhance creativity?

Since I became extremely intentional with making sure my food serve as medicine and cultivating an intimate relationship with food, I have noticed that my creativity has improved. When I stuff my stomach with food, I am telling my brain that my stomach is the most important part of my body at that moment. As a result, it needs lots of oxygen and energy for digestion. Then, my brain channels lots of energy to my stomach leaving my brain and the rest of my body drained. I become very sluggish, sleepy, and cannot think clearly. When I eat just enough to be healthy and 80% satiated— semi-fasting state —my body uses the energy from my nutrients more efficiently as it channels most of the oxygen and energy to my brain enhancing my thinking and creativity. Using this method, I completed two chapbooks— a small collection of poetry, usually not more than 40 pages long—and my memoir that are in the process of publication. I can attest that it worked for me.

Do you have a food-eating ritual? Are you willing to develop the ritual that would work for you?

I wish you strength, always!

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