365 Ways #33–Do you know how to chew?

#33–The average person chews their food 4 times before they swallow. Digestion begins in the mouth (and really it begins, like everything, in the mind with thought). So if we don’t completely chew our food, we set ourselves up for incomplete digestion. This can manifest in many different ways, but it typically results in digestive disorders, nutritional deficiencies, and other health problems including obesity. So the next time you sit down to eat:

–sit down–don’t stand
–see your food
–think about where it came from (if you don’t know, perhaps you shouldn’t eat it)
–smell your food as much of taste is driven by smell (one reason why food is often unappealing when you get congested with a cold)
–be present with your food and actually take time for yourself–don’t watch the news or anything dramatic which could trigger the sympathetic nervous system and interfere with digestion
–stop when you’re satisfied and not stuffed

And one more, of course–eat REAL food that your body might actually enjoy, recognize as food, and benefit from chewing.