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| Thursday, April 23, 2009 |
| Shop Faster & Mind Your P’s and Q’s |
I know you know how hard new relationships can be. We’ve all been hurt by false tales and empty promises. Sworn we’d be better off alone, that next time we’d be less trusting, and more cautious. But I was starting a new job and wanted to make a good impression. He was cute, he was funny, he was smart, and he wooed me with his sweet words. He seemed sincere, so I lowered my defenses, started to trust him, and then I worried because he insisted I had to change. He said it was all about control, and he wanted me to be in charge.
It turned out to be a very rewarding relationship, physically speaking, which I didn’t really expect from someone so…scientific. There have been highs and lows. My control hasn’t always been perfect, which is to be expected, and I hate to admit it, but when I stopped following his advice, things did change. I lost control. Then I missed him and struggled to bring him back into my life.
I thought about him when things were going well, and I thought about him when they weren’t. Maybe I mentioned his name too often. It could have been awkward. “Was I out of control?” I confessed to my Sensei Team. I think they suspected anyway. It was a huge relief, and a little disappointing. It turns out we all feel the same way about him!
We will always follow our Sensei, but back in December of 2007, I ‘discovered’ Brian Wansink, Ph.D., director of Cornell University’s Food Lab, and the author of Mindless Eating, Why We Eat More Than We think. The book was cited by the National Action Against Obesity, and Dr. Wansink was called “a ‘hero’ in the fight against obesity.
“The book shows how food psychology and the food environment influence what, how much, and when people eat. It also shows how many of the cues in this environment can be altered to lead people to eat less and enjoy food more. The science is based on a series of studies in labs, restaurants, homes, movie theaters, diners, and malls that Wansink has conducted as director of the Food and Brand Lab” according to Wikipedia. His concept of Mindful Eating urges us to create new, thoughtful patterns which recognize hunger, fullness, and limit portions to healthy amounts. He calls it Mindful Wellness. Who wouldn’t have a little crush on a man like that?
Dr. Wansink’s latest mission is a study of the habits and hurdles shoppers face as “they transition from restaurant tables to supermarket aisles, trying to save money by eating in.” His research was conducted by students, “interning as consumer behavior researchers,” and what they found is that we “are making mistakes that translate into unnecessary expenses at the checkout lane. We go to the supermarket resolved to watch our pennies and choose healthful foods, but we become disoriented when we’re confronted with thousands of products and brands.”
Dr. Wansink wants to direct and correct our attention to smarter supermarket shopping. He wants us to stop “wasting money and calories for no good reason.” He wants us to mind what my Grandma Belle called our P’s and Q’s. In this case it could mean Portion Quotient or the careful use of Questions to Prevent Overshopping. “Mind your P’s and Q’s” is a phrase dating from the 1830’s. Variations exist, but the meaning is a warning to pay careful attention to details.
We need to learn to make the same thoughtful, controlled choices in the market that we should at the table. Wansink’s students have been watching “consumer behavior, observing thousands of supermarket shoppers.” They report that we are not doing well on our own! “Despite our best intentions, we buy food impulsively and irrationally.”
Kate Stein, one of Brian Wansink’s interns explains in her New York Times piece that “you might think that browsing slowly through the store would help you pick out the best products. But our research shows that’s not the case. The shoppers who took the longest, examining packages, stopping at whatever caught their eye, invariably spent more money. They tumbled stray, often unhealthy, items into their baskets, and later, when questioned, couldn’t cite a reason for the purchases.”
“It turns out that making up a precise list beforehand and getting the errand done as quickly as possible is the best way to save money, and time. If it wasn’t marked on your grocery list, control your instincts, and move on quickly.”
This man is cute, he’s smart, he’s funny, and he knows what he’s talking about. Make your list, check it twice, “Shop Faster” and watch your P’s and Q‘s…his interns are everywhere.
And remember, these students, “interning as consumer behavior researchers,” are tough, but not one shopper has cracked yet. So if they catch you with any “stray, often unhealthy, items in your basket,” don’t tell them you bought it because it looked delicious and you only live once. Tell them you “became disoriented” and have no idea why that chocolate crumb cake “tumbled” into your cart.
- Nancy
Labels: grocery shopping, healthy eating, Mindful Eating, Nancy
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posted by My Sensei @ Thursday, April 23, 2009   |
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