Taste & See during the Coronavirus pandemic
A very important aspect of the Taste & See programme is to become part of a small supportive church group journeying together towards a healthier relationship with food.
At this time of social distancing we may need to connect with a small group more than ever before. We may also be struggling with emotional eating more than ever before, particularly if being isolated at home is making us more bored, lonely or anxious. If this is you, then why not consider running Taste & See for a small group of people who may also be struggling in this way at this time?
You can substitute your face-to-face group meeting for a live virtual one, using a variety of software e.g. Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts, Skype.
Facilitators can contact us and request an online version of the DVD sessions which can be watched together live with a small group via ‘sharescreen’ function of virtual meeting software.
Facilitators may choose to post workbooks out to participants or they may contact us to request pdf versions of the workbooks.
We are also now have a new digital version of Taste & See. The progamme can be accessed in its entirety on an interactive online platform. Churches may purchase a license for small groups to run the course in this way. Please contact us if you are interested in this version.
Taste & See is a recommended project of the Cinnamon Network, and so small grants may be available to churches to run Taste & See. Click here to view Taste & See trailer
Taste & See is a programme for people who struggle with food in some way. Some people come to Taste & See because they eat more then they want; others because they avoid food as much as possible; others feel that food is dominating their life and they want to change that.
Taste & See welcomes anyone who wants to look at the issue of food in their life.
The programme runs over 10 weeks, each week there is a session to attend at a local participating church, each session lasts for about 1 hour. Sessions contain DVD clips explaining the psychology of eating, the science of nutrition, what the bible says in relation to this and how others doing the programme have got on. There is opportunity to discuss these things in small groups, a workbook with some homework to help you get the most out of what you are learning. There are also daily bible readings if you want further inspiration.
The programme is not about dieting but is about learning to eat in response to our body’s natural signals of hunger and fullness, rather than in response to our emotions and what we see or smell! The Christian principles of love, acceptance and freedom with responsibility fit well with this and are included in this programme to add a spiritual element.
Scientific evidence suggests that for many people, diets are unsustainable in the long-term; yo-yo dieting is associated with a sense of failure which impacts on quality of life. Evidence also suggests that programmes, which help us to become spiritually healthy, as well as physically and emotionally healthy, may play an important role in helping with eating or weight problems.
We invite everyone who takes part in Taste & See to contribute to our research by completing a questionnaire before and after taking part in the programme. We would like to find out how good the Taste & See programme is for helping people develop a healthier relationship with food; feel better about themselves and about their lives. The purpose is to evaluate how helpful this church-based intuitive eating programme, which incorporates principles of the Christian faith, is to the local community
The course is written by Professor Deborah Lycett RD PhD, Professor of Religious Health Interventions and Dietetic Practice (Previously Reader/Associate Professor in nutrition, dietetics and spiritual health), Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Coventry University; with Biblical input from Rebekah Hodson and Elaine Davis and healthy eating tips from Nicky Walker RD.