The present one eats with attention, noticing hunger, taste, and satiety as they happen. Research by Robinson shows eating attentively reduces intake through better memory encoding of meals — distraction raises what you eat later, not just what you eat at the table. Presence reveals what automatic eating hides: food stops being enjoyable well before the plate is empty, and a meal you never noticed barely registers. You can’t notice fullness if you’re not paying attention.
This companion covers the absence of presence, what presence reveals, practicing it, and the paradox. (5 min read)
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