Thoughts to Chew on!

When I ask my clients  if they chew their food they always say yes!  Then I realized the question should be, are you a fast or slow eater? 

Now we get a very different answer in some cases and this is when the client pauses. Hmm.

  Chewing our food is very important.  Chewing is the beginning of digestion.  Some say the sight and smell of food is actually when digestion begins.  For now I will just talk about the importance of chewing our food thoroughly.

 We have many reasons for eating fast.  Busy, busy and more busy.  Have a deadline at work, need to take kids to a practice.  Whatever the reason it is time to get back to chewing.  I often say that if we were not meant to chew we wouldn't have teeth. 

The effects of not chewing are many, here are a few;

The feeling of fullness is delayed because we are eating far too quickly and we miss the signal of fullness until it is too late.

Our digestive system cannot effectively break down large chunks of food that should have been chewed properly by the mouth.

If the food cannot be broken down properly then we can't get the full absorption of nutrients available in the food.

Heartburn, indigestion and bloating can occur.

A weakened digestive system can lead to a weak immune system which could equal more colds

Now, when we slow down and chew our food we will become full quicker

Twenty pounds can be lost in a year just by chewing our food

Chewing our food slowly, particularly if this is something that one is not use to doing can be difficult!

So, no matter at what point during the meal you remember to chew, start chewing

Your digestion will thank you!

Liquids

Limit your liquids with meals.  If you need to drink then sip water  with your meal.  Drinking large quantities of water with your meal will only dilute your stomach acid and delay digestion and create a full, bloated feeling after the meal.

Mindful Eating

As I mentioned above, most of us are busy these days and eating is just one more thing we have to do.  Yes we all enjoy a good meal but when life is busy we tend to power through the meal so we can get to the next task at hand.  Setting aside time to eat is just as important as all those other things we have to do.  Be there mentally at meal time. By being there you will slow down and be more aware of how much food you are consuming.  It's all connected folks. 

Probiotics

Ensure to take a good quality probiotic supplement daily.  Any ND office or health food store will carry a quality brand that is right for you.   Probiotics may cause bloating and some gas for a week or two after starting but this should stop once the balance begins to be restored. 

Keep in Mind

Have patience!   When making changes naturally it will take time so remove any EXPECTATIONS YOU HAVE from the equation.  Having expectations only limits how far we will go in our changes.