Something to Chew on …
This past January I invited friends and colleagues to join me in a cleansing process. This process includes 3 parts. One being the physical, second being emotional, and the third being spiritual. We all chose different cleanses. One of the great questions when choosing the physical food for the cleanse was to chew or not to chew. How awesome!
Chewing is lost art in the eating process. We are a world of fast food and fast eaters, and we wonder why we have difficulty digesting out food! So, what’s the big deal if we don’t chew our food well?
By not chewing and tasting our food we rob ourselves of the pleasure of the flavor, texture and sensations that are only experienced by the taste buds in the mouth. We also create more work for the rest of the digestive track. The first breakdown of food is done in the mouth. This is where we create surface area, and destroy bacteria. The more surface area the more easily the nutrients will be absorbed. The easier absorption, the higher the quantity absorbed, and the smaller quantity needed by the body. The destruction of the bacteria results in less intestinal infections.
On a basic level, if the mouth doesn’t get its job done, then the stomach has to produce more acid to break the food down and try to destroy any bacteria in the food. That isn’t always enough to break it down, and the food enters the small intestine unready for the proper assimilation and absorption.
Emotionally, if we are taking our time eating, chewing our food thoroughly, enjoying and tasting it, we are paying attention to what we are taking in in our lives and body, what we are getting involved in. The lack of chewing, and just swallowing the food, emotionally we are moving through life so quickly that we pass by the peace and joy in life. Why would you choose to be less present in your life?
Spiritually chewing speaks to the spirit on a higher level awareness. There are some situations where we need to chew something over before we can assimilate it, absorb what we need and release what we need to. Can you think of any time when you wish you had thought something through before making a decision? Chew it over longer?
Slow down, be aware, chew, savor and enjoy your food and life!
How true.. We do not savor our food. We feel rushed and so many inhale their food.
Thank you for the reminder. i really needed it right now. It’s amazing how much more enjoyable food tastes when we actually slow down and taste it. Also, i tend to eat less when i enjoy each bite.