You wake up frantically and rush to the bathroom with your phone tightly grasped. Whilst sitting on the throne, you begin to frantically reply to the last twelve hours of messages, emails and also find a moment to scroll through the endless reels of social media. The hope for breakfast has been squandered. However, maybe coffee is still possible? But wait, your Uber is already waiting, so you’ll order breakfast on the way, or perhaps just wait until lunch. You scramble out of the house, with a thirsty body and mind full of angst.
Does this resonate with you? This satirical sketch is actually the truth for many of us. When did we forgo all our needs?
In order to survive in today’s world, food must be produced rapidly, processed rapidly and also served rapidly. Regardless of where your role may lie in the food chain, we all seem to be suffering from the same thing, speed! Acceleration is the key ingredient, from farm to table. As migrants descended on larger fast-paced cities and economies, they learnt the speed culture of food. No longer was a meal prepared slowly and passionately by the household, it was instead gulped down or better yet, purchased.
Suppose you desire a Salad, Pho, Vada Pav, Coffee or just a Juice, which a simple swipe of your finger the item will be rapidly hand delivered to your location. From your fitness to your fibre, all your daily necessities can be tracked and acquired through technology. Although this may be a win for startups businesses, it does pose a cause for concern when considering the ways in which we treat bodies. Our daily nutrition has taken a beating, not because we don’t care, but because we’re engrossed in the culture of speed. Whether we like it or not, we are surrounded by speed, that does not comprehend human variability. So how are we supposed to slow down and just enjoy our coffee when we take no time in understanding it’s process? Better yet, when we live in a culture of speed.
Back in 1948 when the Mcdonald brothers coined the term ‘fast food’ (also known as QSR, Quick Service Restaurant), they triggered the start of an unimaginable era. This shift gave birth to the multinational food chain, McDonald's. A glance inside the kitchen gave you a look into the minds behind the global empire. From the hamburger slides to mustard guns, every inch of the kitchen was designed to produce 75 burgers per second. Since then, we seem to have become obsessed with creating perfection, with speed. Especially in the food industry!
Our obsession with perfection has become quite daunting.
Just in the last decade, we have witnessed the detrimental effects of technology. This combination of speed and perfection has equalled in an unprecedented increase in social anxiety, depression and cyberbullying. Both, men and women, young and old across the world struggle daily with accepting themselves. We continuously question our aptitude in living life and work to the fullest. Ensuring that we are ‘doing enough’ in order to reach perfection. The truth is, both, ‘enough’ and ‘perfection’ are unattainable ideologies today. How can they be attainable? If you don’t have the time to slow down and evaluate, then how do you know when enough is enough?
“A Wonky Carrot When Pulled From The Earth
Is Still A Carrot”
This trend can also be applied to what we eat. The human brain has been cleverly conditioned to believe that all vegetables must look the same. It’s not our fault. In school we were taught that vegetables came in perfect shapes, sizes and colour. We seem to bypass the fact that most vegetables bought at the local supermarket are either genetically modified, prematurely harvested, or just picked for their good looks. Like the human body, vegetables are products of nature. There is no state of perfection, no destination to reach, no aesthetic to cater to and no blueprint. A wonky carrot when pulled from the earth is still a carrot, if farmed beautifully it should possess the beautiful sun kissed skin, a long strong body, rugged hair and of course, a crisp refreshing flavour. I wonder, after a long day at work, do we look down at our vegetables and discriminate each one based on size and shape? Probably not! We are hungry and need to satiate our palate! So as a friend puts it “acres of land are farmed for 4 inches of tongue.” Need I say more.
The correlation between the speed of eating and the speed of thinking are staggering. It seems all consumption is a reflection of our brains programming. Take fast food for example, apart from burgers, the fast-food culture is the concept of eating something ‘on the go’. The local pretzel seller, bagel guy or fish & chip vendor can all be connected to the culture of fast food. However, in that era, dining was still a daily ritual for most, when a virtual network controlling the acceleration of life did not exist. The difference today is that speed has infiltrated all aspects of human existence. The sheer thought of slowing down to enjoy a meal is near to extinct.
We ran a short survey, that evaluated the average time spent on eating per day. The objective here was to gain a deeper understanding in, ‘how valuable ‘eating’ is?’ as a habit for us. Would it compete with our average internet browsing time of 4 hours? Probably not. The results were intriguing; apart from a few participants who took a full 60 mins to consume a meal, 80% of participants tool an average of 18 minutes to complete a meal. Out of which, breakfast was the meal that received the maximum time. A short excitement ensured upon initially swallowing this data, however after a short while of digestion and closer inspection, an alternate truth surfaced. I visioned an idyllic relaxed breakfast, complete with newspapers, coffee and brief moments of introspection. I couldn’t have more wrong! A deeper examination revealed that the time spent per each meal was associated to digital browsing. This could either be catching up on Netflix, a bursting inbox or endless scrolling on social media (the latter was the biggest culprit of course).
Albeit the data highlighting what many already know, it did show one crucial nugget. That the pace of our lives, even our personal down time, our rituals, our intimacy are all controlled by an invisible force, which we are enslaved to. It seems odd that we cannot even enjoy a meal without the need to check Instagram, Facebook, Whatsapp and email all in the matter of 18 mins. Consequently, there is no natural and sacred moment in our day, that is just ours, not judged, not controlled, not timed, just ours. When did our devices begin to consume us?
In her book ‘The Rituals of Dinner’, Margaret Visser questions whether ‘communal dining is too slow for the modern world? She explores the evolution of dining etiquette throughout history, evaluating culture and modernity. She defines a ritual as ‘an expression of solidarity — the definitional enactment of togetherness’’. In the contrary, many would argue that today’s perception of ‘togetherness’ is an equal evolution in the history of dining, as with any other era. Maybe we’ll look back on these years as the golden age and reconsider our need for more rituals
“It’s About Letting The Food Speak For Itself”
Many cultures around the world pride themselves on their slow rituals. Take Italy for example, apart from being the home of the Slow Food Movement, Italians are known for their effortless outlook on life, as well as their food. A traditional Italian meal focuses on a few high-quality ingredients to create an authentic flavour. It’s not about adding layers of flavour, it’s about letting the food speak for itself. By the same token, they also eat in the same way! For Italians, eating is a ritual, whether it’s enjoying your morning mocha or gathering with families after a long day, food is to be slowly devoured, not rushed. It’s no wonder that Italians live longer!
The celebrated Zen Master, Thich Nhat Hanh takes a visceral approach to eating. In his pocket-book ‘How to Eat’, he draws upon the practice of cultivating mindfulness in everything that we do. The act of simply admiring the food on your plate with gratitude, before rushing through the meal is a step towards slowness. His philosophy focuses on making time for the things that matter to you the most. “The value of a meal is not determined by the amount of money we spend on it, but rather the effort that goes into growing, harvesting, distributing and cooking it.” As unrealistic as this may seem, just taking a few breaths or giving a moment of gratitude before chowing down into our meal makes all a world of difference. This action may not anchor consciously but is most likely to leave to a subconscious imprint. As rituals go, you have to do them a few times, before you start to feel their benefits.
If one has to lead a life where they have been shown the value of slowing down, then it would be easier to commit to. The current generation is virtually bludgeoned for not being fast enough in all aspects of life. Although their minds may adapt quickly to new technological advancements than their predecessors, they’re only human. The human capacity to slow does exist, however only if it’s prioritised. Today’s social norms assume, that one should be able to complete all of their personal well being rituals in a minute space of time and reserve the rest for other pending tasks. So how does one fit in the time for not only valuing nature but also its gifts?
Take the act of eating for example, it’s a carnal need. Without it, the human race would not exist. As aware we may be of this in principle, the value placed upon the pace and quality of what we consume does vary. We need to reconfigure our brains ‘normal’ mode to one which puts our relationship with nature and our bodies first. A doctor will never prescribe a patient to speed up, instead the focus is on slowing down, resting and eating well.
The problem here is not with us alone, it’s also with the culture we are in. Vacuumed, in this culture of speed that defines us. Our need for speed encroaches upon our every moment until we kneel to it. So is it really worth it? Let’s be honest, speed often takes the fun out of most situations. We can all agree, that it’s important for us to take time to be slow.
So, try whatever works for you, read, meditate, take an extended bath or our favourite…cook!
I’ll never forget what my Quality Management professor at university, once said,
“Quality Is A Journey, Not A Destination”
A decade on, and these words stand as strong and meaningful today.
