I enjoy snacking; I often have nibbles somewhere close by when I am doing my work or reading or watching the hockey game or...
The dogs know which snacks I am likely to share with them, and which ones are people-only.
I tend to portion out my snacks (to reduce the chance of over-snackage); and some snacks are easier than others at slowing the eating process.
This week, my snack of choice has been pistachios.
The thing with pistachios is that snacking needs to be done intentionally. And not just in terms of portion control!
The shells need to removed from each nut; a process that takes two hands. The shells then need to be disposed of; a side bowl is handy while adding another step. The saltiness of the shells transfers to my fingers, so I am less likely to read or type to keep my things clean.
They are lovely, and the benefits of intentionality are definitely worth the effort.
And they make me consider the effort: for so much of our food these days can be easily acquired and ingested; we don’t always (often) consider each bite as we eat.
Our other intakes can be similar: our earbuds bring us a steady stream of music, so much that we may forget what song we heard last. Our scrolling through the social media algorithm may normalise a few points of view that we forget there are others. Our entertainment choices can influence our moods.
Like with my pistachios, we can also be intentional about our consumption and habits:
We can choose to immerse ourselves in prayer on a daily basis. We can decide to support a service agency. We can collaborate with neighbours to enhance our communities.
There are so many ways we can act with intentionality – a little mindfulness can be a good thing. In our world of instant gratification, a small change, a slowing down, a purposeful pause can make a big difference. If they lead to good things, they are definitely worth the effort.
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