[FOOD] Food Rules: Your Dietary Dos and Don'ts

"When drinking tea, just drink tea." I find this Zen teaching useful, given my inclination toward information absorption in the morning, when I'm also trying to eat breakfast, get the dog out, start the fire and organize my day, I believe that it's so much better for our bodies when we are present to our food. Perhaps a bit of mindfulness goes a long way first thing in the morning. (Of course, some time ago, I came across a humorous anecdote about a hapless Zen student whose teacher taught him this aphorism and then was discovered by the same student, drinking tea and reading the paper. When confronted, the teacher said, "When drinking tea and reading the paper, just drink tea and read the paper!")
- MICHELLE POIROT

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/10/11/magazine/20091011-foodrules.html