An important aspect of this book is to be more self-aware of all the hidden aspects of our daily nutrition. Some of it is tricks from food companies that we need to be careful about, so that we don’t fall into their traps, but a lot of them is just that our evolutionary mind, regarding calories in and out, isn’t really built for contemporary living.



Here is quick lessons from the book.



Be aware of the small daily calories, that can add up. 100 calories a day can add up to 10 pounds a year (4.5 kgs

An important aspect of this book is to be more self-aware of all the hidden aspects of our daily nutrition. Some of it is tricks from food companies that we need to be careful about, so that we don’t fall into their traps, but a lot of them is just that our evolutionary mind, regarding calories in and out, isn’t really built for contemporary living.



Here is quick lessons from the book.



Be aware of the small daily calories, that can add up. 100 calories a day can add up to 10 pounds a year (4.5 kgs). The energy drink on my desk while I’m writing this has 96 calorie. Usually, I get zero sugar versions (wasn’t available) knowing that those little calories can add up. There was a time where I would mock people with their Zero Coca Cola while eating two burgers and a side of fries. Now that I think, so what? 1500 calorie is still less than 1600 calorie.



Understand that your eyes sees the food, not your stomach. I always try to finish whatever there is on my plate. Maybe a part of it is due to upbringing and parents telling us to wipe the plate clean. So, solution today is to have less food on my plate. I have been doing this for a while now. If I have rice, I use smaller plates, and less servings. If I want to, I can refill plate, but usually, it’s easier to resist a second serving than leave rice on my plate.



Related to above, always use smaller plates, bowls, glasses, etc. Why use a tall glass to fill my soda, when I can use a smaller one? Even prepackaged items. If I have to have chips, I should use a smaller bag, rather than a better value larger one, even though I might initially assume I’d just eat half of it. Gratefully, we don’t (yet) have a super-size culture in Iranian fast foods yet, so I don’t have to battle temptation of larger servings of fries and soda.



Hide unhealthy food, and keep healthy food in view. It would be great if I have to pass through the veggies and yogurts and nuts to reach my bar of Snickers.



Understand that we have certain Eating Scripts. We eat more in larger gatherings, men feel that it is manly to have big appetites, the effects of restaurants on how long we stay eating, and so on. To battle against these scripts, we need to practice more self-awareness and understand they exist. Personally, I know I get a certain satisfaction of having a big appetite in gatherings. Given that I am not fat, I always have a certain perverse satisfaction when I eat more than my friends in gatherings. There is a competition aspect of it for me. I need to be more aware of the effect of such scripts in my diet.



Names can affect how we feel about food. By being aware of this, I should restructure my own healthy home-cooked foods to sound better for myself and guests. Companies & restaurants practice this a lot, and instead of them controlling the narrative on my diet, I should do it myself.

Comfort food are generally unhealthy, but that’s not due to their specific characteristics, it’s because they have positive associations from our childhood. So, find out my comfort foods, and replace them with healthier alternatives, by creating positive associations. What if I serve them repeatedly in friendly gatherings, so I can associate positive feelings with them? I realize now that I enjoy fast food at night. To me, it is like a ritual after a hard day. Wait until the kid is asleep, finish all my responsibilities for the day, put on a movie, and enjoy some takeout. Recently, with the coronavirus outbreak, it is almost ten days when I haven’t had any takeouts, and writing this has made me realize that a large part of my love for them is due to the positive associations I have built for them over the years. These comfort food has been a “reward” that I give myself for the end of the day. Could I not instead slowly create a new reward?



The main takeaway (heh) lesson from this book comes from the title “Mindless Eating”. As long as I can change my habit to “Mindful Eating”, than I would have already solved a big part of my diet.