Slow the Chew
How eating slower can increase mindfulness and aid in optimal health and digestion.
We have all been guilty of it. The classic stuff and run. As if we are being chased by a starving wolf and if we don’t swallow this salad in two bites, we will be swallowed by the wolf in two bites.
Although it seems like a non-issue to eat quickly because at least you’re eating, on a microscopic level, it can be pretty damaging to your cells and how they create the energy for us to be alive.
This simple bad habit can lead to increased stress in your life by continuing to instigate a fast-paced lifestyle; after all, we are all too on-the-go to begin with.
Stress can create so many problems in our life, including: poor sleep, low energy, a constant reactive state, poor focus, poor digestion, bad eating habits, and a plethora of other negative side-effects.
Therefore, any micro change we can make to lessen our stress and decrease all of these effects from potentially happening to us should be implemented to create macro results in our daily lives.
Other than stress, eating fast can lead to a simple lack of nutrient absorption. Digestion begins in our mouths while we are chewing. Our glands in our mouth release saliva which contains unique enzymes that can begin to break down the heavier materials so they flow down your esophagus with more ease and your stomach has an easier time with the next step in the digestive process. If we are senselessly shoving food into our mouths and swallowing fast without properly chewing our food the saliva becomes useless and our stomachs have to work in overdrive to break down the food which puts a lot of pressure on that part of our system.
The nutrients from the food we eat are therefore, not adequately dispersed into our bloodstream as the stomach has difficulty breaking down all the food it has just acquired. This can then lead to lethargy after a meal and potential weight gain (even if what you are eating is incredibly healthy for you!) Slowing down will lead to better digestive health and limit your chances of bloating, leaky gut syndrome, or constipation.
Eating slower and being present can also actually help you LOSE weight too if that is one of your goals. Why this phenomenon occurs is because it takes your brain 20 minutes to realize when it is full. If we eat fast, we often eat past the point we realize we are full and so 20 minutes later we experience that painful full feeling that makes it uncomfortable to move and may cause nausea. If we eat slowly, our brains will signal us to know we are full and we won’t eat past that limit.
We should also try to find joy in the process of eating instead of considering it a mundane part of our day that we wish to rush through to get onto the next thing on our checklist. Eating is celebratory and it can invoke emotions in us while our body experiences the bliss of vitamins and minerals. Our hormone glands will actually release our happy hormones like serotonin and dopamine while we are eating, increasing our overall mental state and long-term happiness.
We need to become more mindful as humans of slowing down in life and enjoying the small pleasures, something like eating can give to us. Once that habit is entrenched in us it can move to other aspects of our life and we can learn to be present and joyful in almost anything life throws our way. It’s time to rebel against the go, go, go of the fast food, fast life mentality and taste the joys of life instead.
Some helpful tips on how I have managed to slow down my eating (trust me I know its hard)
1. Give yourself grace and take it slowly: You cannot change a habit overnight. Scientifically, it takes almost 2 months to really change something biologically engrained in you like a habit. So set a goal for yourself to maybe always eat lunch slowly and mindfully.
2. My version of prayer before I eat: Before I begin my meal, I gently send love and gratitude to the food I am about to consume. I like to raise my hand over my food in a reiki style of energy-giving and bless the food I get to eat and enjoy. I feel like this allows me to become really present and exist in gratitude for this moment and experience. It helps make the whole process of eating feel more spiritual and less static.
3. Take three deep breaths: Breathing cultivates awareness. Taking long inhales and exhales will naturally trigger that parasympathetic response so even if you have just gotten off a chaotic business call you can instantly change your chemistry by breathing. Really focus on deep belly breathing to really feel the benefits while bringing the awareness from outside stimuli back into yourself.
4. Limit distractions: This can be one of the more difficult things to do while you learn to eat slower. To be entirely mindful you need to be focusing on the one task you have at hand. We live in a distraction driven society where the more we can distract ourselves the better we feel. Normally these distractions exist on screens. So, try your best to sit at a table while eating without a television on or your cell phone in your hand. Just breathe, exist, and taste.