Why You’re Not Really Tasting Your Food (And What the Science Says About It)
By Daniel Schotborgh, MD — Holistic GP & Lifestyle Coach | Nut House Ambassador
Let me ask you something.
What did your last meal taste like?
Not what you ate — what did it actually taste like? The texture. The first hint of flavour. The way it changed as you chewed.
If you’re drawing a blank, you’re not alone. Most of us eat on complete autopilot — scrolling, rushing, thinking about the next thing. Food just happens in the background.
I know, because I did this for years.
A Doctor Who Knew Nothing About Food
As a kid, I discovered that eating and reading at the same time felt like the perfect reward. Nobody interrupted me, and I still got to enjoy a snack. What I didn’t realise was that I wasn’t really there for any of it. I chewed on autopilot for nearly a decade — completely absent from what I was eating.
That boy became a doctor.
And here’s the part that still surprises me: after years of medical training, I knew almost nothing about the impact of food on health. We covered medications, diagnostics, procedures. Nutrition? A footnote. The idea that how we eat — not just what — could influence digestion, energy, inflammation, and mental clarity? It simply wasn’t in the curriculum.
It wasn’t until I started exploring a more holistic approach to medicine that everything shifted. I began studying the connection between the nervous system, stress, and the way the body processes food. And what I found was both simple and profound: the way we eat is inseparable from the state we’re in when we eat it.
What Stress Actually Does to Your Digestion
You’ve probably heard of fight-or-flight. But most people don’t know what it actually does to their digestive system.
When you’re under stress — whether from a deadline, a difficult conversation, or simply the pace of a busy day — your body activates its stress response. Blood flow is redirected toward the muscles and away from the gut. Digestive enzymes slow down. Your body is focused on managing the perceived threat, not breaking down your lunch.
Research published in Integrative Medicine: A Clinician’s Journal describes this precisely: chronic stress disturbs gastrointestinal function by suppressing the parasympathetic nervous system — the branch responsible for what’s called “rest and digest.” When the stress response is activated too frequently, digestive health suffers. The research links this to conditions like irritable bowel syndrome, functional dyspepsia, and persistent digestive discomfort. ¹
But here’s the hopeful part: mindfulness-based practices — including mindful eating — have been shown to restore parasympathetic dominance. In other words, slowing down and paying attention isn’t just pleasant. It is, quite literally, what your nervous system needs to digest food properly.
What strikes me most about these findings is that none of this required a diet. No food was forbidden. No calorie was counted. The change came from a shift in attention.
What the Research Actually Shows
Beyond digestion, the effects of mindful eating on our daily food behaviour are becoming increasingly well documented.
A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis published in Obesity Reviews, analysing data across multiple studies, found that mindfulness-based interventions produced meaningful improvements in several eating behaviours. People became significantly more aware of fullness cues. They were less likely to eat in response to external triggers — the smell of food, an advertisement, boredom, or habit rather than genuine hunger. Impulsive food choices decreased. Overall energy intake and sweet food consumption also reduced — not through restriction, but through increased awareness. ²
What strikes me most about these findings is that none of this required a diet. No food was forbidden. No calorie was counted. The change came from a shift in attention.
That is what mindful eating actually is: not a protocol, not a quick fix, but a practice of curiosity. A way of relating to food that is unique to each person, and that can lead to genuinely healthier choices — from the inside out.
A Mini Exercise You Can Try Right Now
You don’t need a guided session to experience this. Try it with whatever is nearby — a nut, a piece of fruit, a square of dark chocolate.
- Pick it up and look at it. Really look. Its shape, colour, surface texture. Spend five seconds just observing.
- Smell it. Bring it slowly to your nose. Notice if your body responds — does your mouth water? Does something shift?
- Place it in your mouth — but don’t chew yet. Let it rest on your tongue. Notice the first wave of flavour arriving before a single bite.
- Take one slow bite. Stay with the texture, the sound, the way the taste changes. Notice the urge to rush. You don’t have to obey it.
- After you swallow, pause. What’s left? What do you actually notice?
That experience — that gap of awareness — is where mindful eating lives. It is not about doing this perfectly at every meal. It is about knowing it’s possible, and returning to it when you can.
A Few Practical Starting Points
The most important thing I’ve learned — as a doctor and as a person — is that no protocol will ever tell you as much about your health as your own body already can.
Mindful eating is not a diet. It is not a restriction. It is an invitation to listen more closely to something that has been communicating with you all along.
At Nut House, the belief has always been that food should make you feel good — body and mind. Mindful eating is how that belief becomes a daily practice.
Your body is the best instrument you have. It never lies. You just have to learn to listen.
Daniel Schotborgh is a holistic GP, lifestyle coach, and Nut House ambassador. He hosts knowledge sessions at Nut House on the intersection of health, the nervous system, and daily lifestyle choices. Follow Nut House on Instagram or keep an eye on the website for upcoming sessions.
References
¹ Cherpak CE. Mindful Eating: A Review Of How The Stress-Digestion-Mindfulness Triad May Modulate And Improve Gastrointestinal And Digestive Function. Integr Med (Encinitas). 2019;18(4):48–53. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7219460
² Kao TS, Ling J, Alanazi M, Atwa A, Liu S. Effects of mindfulness-based interventions on obesogenic eating behaviors: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Obes Rev. 2024;26(3):e13860. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11791380
