When I think fall, I think of cinnamon and pumpkin spice. So many of my favourite foods and drinks come to mind with this season. And simply imagining my favourite fall scents makes me hungry. Close your eyes and imagine inhaling your favourite fall treat. Is it a gingerbread cookie, a warm pumpkin spice latte? Take a pause and really imagine it in front of you...hungry yet?

What you’ve just experienced is the desire for satiation. Feeling satiated is one of the most important factors in eating. We all love to feel full, satisfied and most importantly, satiated. It brings us happiness and adds to our quality of life. But what many of us don’t consider, is the role smell plays in that feeling of satiation and satisfaction.

So many of our senses are involved in taking just one bite of food. We see our favourite foods, our brain imagines the taste, the feeling. It signals our stomach to prepare for that first bite. We breathe in that smell, now our juices are really flowing! As you chew that bite, you’re still using your sense of smell to enjoy it to its fullest. Delicious. Satisfying. Close your eyes. Enjoy that bite. Enjoy that feeling.

We all crave that feeling of satiation. We seek it multiple times a day. But what we don’t give enough credit to, is how the simple act of smell adds to that feeling. It‘s not our stomach that signals us when to stop eating. It’s our brain. Our brain is craving that feeling of satiation and satisfaction. The act of smell and taste combined send a signal to your brain telling it when it feels satiated- aka: when to stop eating. (It’s only later that your stomach realizes that it’s full).

I encourage you all to mindfully watch for that feeling of satiation. It’s not happening in your stomach, it’s happening in your brain. Find a time to enjoy your favourite fall meal and make a conscious effort to slow down. Smell it before you eat it. Smell it as you eat it. Enjoy that smell. Enjoy that taste. Enjoy that sensation of satiation.

Once you build this simple habit, you may notice your portion sizes decrease and your feeling of satiation and fullness increase.

Source: https://www.shapedfitness.ca/post/stop-and-smell-the-pumpkin