My last post Mentioned the small things I've been doing that have made a very big difference for me.
Another one I forgot to share is "Mindful Chewing"
Hubby and I are very fast eaters, always have been. We had things to do and places to go.. chewing was low on the priority list.
We have always heard people talk about the need to fully chew food but after listening to a lot of lectures regarding digestion, chewing and the mechanics of what happens when.. I decided I should make a bigger effort to chew my food better.
You see, digestion starts in the mouth. It actually starts in your mouth before you take that first bite. The saliva starts working its magic and sends signals to the tummy to get ready.. "Food is coming".. From there the stomach starts preparing its juices to do its thing. Once food is partially digested in the mouth and sent down to the stomach, he sends a signal back up saying "I'm getting full, eat less" or "Ok we are done now"
But this process takes a few minutes. By eating your food too quickly the stomach doesn't have time to send the signal back up to the brain that your getting full. So I could eat an entire meal before the signal made it to my brain saying I was full. And that my friends is why I always over-ate! I was never full.
Another benefit of chewing your food more is the flavor enhancers that come with it. You almost need less sweetners and seasonings when you truly taste the flavors of natural foods. By chewing more, you can fully enjoy your meal more.
The suggestion is 100 bites.. that does not work for me. Vegkid and I would play games trying to see who could chew their food the longest. He actually got to 100 bites once. I never have. Eventually I just stopped counting and created what I call "Mindful Chewing" I'm consciously trying to chew more and let my meals last longer. Of course the result of this is I feel full faster... Hense more chewing = less eating!
Some tricks are to put your fork down between bites. Or make sure one bite is gone before taking another. Sometimes having a conversation can delay the inhaling of food, or when I'm alone I'll take notes in my note book between bites or read.
Chewing seems like a natural easy task. But this is actually a challenge for me, because I have to change a life long habit.
You know I'm not afraid of a feel-good challenge! So bring on the chewing...
How about you? Do you inhale your food, or savor every bite?
