You want to really enjoy a meal? In a way that demolishes your previous positive culinary experiences, rendering them ordinary? Close your eyes while you eat.

Years back while playing for the Red Sox in Spring Training in Fort Myers, Florida, I sat down to eat at a very typical diner. At the time, I was reading a book on mindfulness. I think, anyway. Perhaps it was on meditation or breathing or whatever. Anyway, you know the type. Squarely in the moment, I dug into an omelet with Swiss cheese, red, yellow and orange bell peppers and caramelized onions.  Before I took my first bite, I gazed at the vivid colors and textures on the plate. Grabbing my fork, I connected with its (the fork’s) weight distribution. It was thick, and the bulk of the metal was in the round, cold handle. I scooped balanced portions of eggs, veggies and cheese and closed my eyes before taking the bite and chewing slowly. I had created the experience and braced for intensity. I expected it, and I got it. From sciencedaily.com:

Not only is there a real connection between vision and other senses, but that connection is important to better understand the underlying mechanisms that can quickly trigger sensory changes, according to new research.

Perhaps I was onto something unknowingly. Eating while blindfolded may be the hot new diet trend. From the Chicago Tribune:

Blocking out the vision seems to heighten one’s other senses, including our taste buds; diners also take smaller bites, eat more slowly and savor their food more.

And, for a bonus, eating with a blindfold is yet another trick to help you lose weight.

Studies have shown that people who eat with a blindfold on are more likely to pay attention to the satiety cues from their stomach and thus stop eating before they become overly full.

A small study done in Sweden in 2003 showed that adult subjects who ate while wearing a blindfold consumed 24 percent less food than their counterparts who could see what they were eating, and without feeling less full.

This has been backed up by further studies. Now, obviously, I wasn’t headed into those meals intending to lose weight. My assertion that culinary experiences are enhanced by depriving ourselves of sight temporarily is only part of the equation. My calculus includes a very conscious decision to get lost in the flavors and textures. Too often, and I’m as guilty as anyone I know, we rush through our meals working or talking or simply trying to save time.

There are restaurants trying to take advantage of this fact. A new trend is to have a dining experience completely in the dark, with no visual cues whatsoever. Perhaps I should check out this place near LA. From CNN.com:

I felt like I was eating for the first time, literally feeling around the plate, touching and smelling every item before building up the courage to pop it in my mouth…The guides were fantastic and the food was fragrant and fresh, providing a thoughtful combination of experiences; a window into a life without sight, and a sharpening of the senses required to fully appreciate dining.

Even without hopping on the bandwagon, I eat alone. Often. Like way more than I eat with others. When I’m by myself at my kitchen table with some flamenco guitar or an abnormally loud beat blaring (depending on my mood), the smell of garlic and olive oil creeping from the oven prepares me to get lost in my meal. It’s that preparation, combined with the visual and sensory deprivation that creates the final, mind blowing result. Moreover, when I’m out in public, I’m totally unafraid to close my eyes and chew. I have zero embarrassment. I don’t care what folks think. I’m optimizing for pleasure.

Give it a shot and let me know how it goes.

Kap