Your mom was right...and so was mine!

​Slow down and chew your food!  I am sure you have heard or repeated those words at some point in your life. Besides not choking – which is clearly an excellent reason to chew, what’s the difference if we “inhale” our food or leisurely eat a meal?

During spring break we were fortunate enough to travel to Ecuador. The farm we stayed on had groves of plants and trees that we could just pick and eat some of the most beautiful produce I have ever seen.  While I am the kind of person that eats to live, I truly lived to eat while we were away!  Sorry – I digress – back to chewing!! 

This beautiful plate that's in front of me was my own breakfast after traveling early one morning.  It was filled with beautiful potatoes smothered in a cilantro sauce, cheese (my favorite!) and a huge corn kernel salad – yum! I was so hungry that I leaned over the plate and I didn't lift my head up until I had inhaled the whole thing.  There was no polite conversation, no breathing, and short of the first few bites not much tasting either. While I do remember this meal, clearly I missed a valuable opportunity to help my digestion and cultivate the relationships of the people around me.

Have you ever sat at your table with your family and realized that a meal that took you 30 minutes or more to prepare is gone in a matter of five minutes – if that?  It's kind a like Thanksgiving dinner - where you spend days and days preparing the meal and then everyone sits down and all of your labor is gone and inhaled in minutes.  Quickly getting through things is part of how most of us live.

So why is chewing so important?  Chewing actually begins the process of digestion.  Imagine how hard your stomach has to work on food that has been chewed 3-4 times versus 20 or more.  Chewing lets the other key organs in our body know it’s time to get to work and keep the body in balance.  It’s an easier process for our whole system if we just slowed down a bit.

Did you know it takes around 20 minutes for our brain and stomach to communicate we are full?  Overeating or portion distortion is so understandable if we are just using our forks and spoons as shovels.  My breakfast in the picture is 3 times the amount of food I would normally eat at a meal.  Slowing down and chewing can help you avoid excess calories you don’t need or want. Consider too, the taste and texture!  Have you ever eaten a fresh June strawberry?  The color is as red as can be while tasting so very sweet!  Really take a moment to taste your food.

A great challenge to do with yourself or family is to see who can chew each bite the longest.  I promise it will be the quietest meal your house has had – followed by many giggles!

So you ask, how do I slow down?  Put your fork down between bites, be present and mindful while chewing, and engage with those that are enjoying the meal with you.  Above all, be kind to yourself…your body deserves it!
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Would you like help learning how to slow down and incorporate healthy eating habits for you and your family? Curious about how health coaching can help you make your own healthy changes? Let’s talk! Schedule an initial complimentary consultation with me today——or pass this offer on to someone you care about!

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