Chew Well for Good Digestion
by Anna
Ah, the pleasures of food. It begins with the first waft of sweet aroma winding in tendrils into your nostrils, leading to salivatory anticipation in the mouth as you contemplate the tasty morsels to come. The gently insistent rumbling of the awaiting stomach harmonises with the inaudible chorus of billions of fuel-deprived cells.
Friends and family gather daily around their domestic altar of nourishment, the table or the TV. Hands eagerly grasp the eating utensils as a myriad of colourful flavours and textures jostle for space on the plate.
Someone makes the first move - and they’re off! Hands swoop in at lightening speed, shovelling and scooping, mouths munch into action, tongues swirling and throats swallowing.
“Mmmm, yummy, more!!”, the stomach cries in delight.
All subtle moments of sensory pleasure and gratitude are discarded in favour of instant gratification. Knives scrape plates, , forks are licked clean, and the final crumbs are mopped into the victorious lips. The dinner deed is done.
The belly is left to deal with the aftermath. Perhaps a few bubbles of less fragrant air pass from various orifices over the next hour or two and the belly feels a tad puffy, however the sedative side-effect of another ‘great feed’ helps to numb any unpleasant symptoms of indigestion.
I grew up in a household where dinner was eaten in less than a quarter of the time it took to prepare it. We could possibly blame my Dad’s deprived wartime childhood, but whatever the root of my parents speed-eating habits, us kids followed the hasty lead with enthusiasm.
Whatever our history of table etiquette, most of us would benefit from bringing more awareness to the simple art of chewing. Good chewing is the first step to healthy digestion. Many common digestive conditions can be reduced or eliminated through more sustained use of the pearly whites.
Dr Gillian McKeith, the internationally acclaimed holistic nutritionist, (see http://www.drgillianmckeith.com/ ), suggests in a recent article that the following could all be signs of inadequate chewing: burping, farting, bloating, indigestion, irritable bowel, stomach aches, heartburn, cramping.
According to oriental medicine a line down the middle of the tongue, teeth marks round the sides, and cuts in the middle of the tongue all indicate poor chewing habits. So check out those lines on your next trip to the bathroom…
She goes on to tell the true story of a man with the most pristine youthful tongue who claimed that the secret of his vibrant health lay in chewing until the food was liquid. The reason for this is that nutrients are more readily available to the body. As a result wastes are easily separated from the goodies and the whole digestive system functions with improved fluidity.
Paul Pitchford, Author of the reputable wholefood bible, ‘Healing with Wholefoods’, states that the first restorative action for any case of parasites, from Candida to larger wriggling varieties, is improved chewing. (http://www.heartwoodinstitute.com/content/advanced/HealWhole.html)
All food is more accesable to the digestive process in smaller pieces, however carbohydrates require mindful chewing more than proteins and fats. A few days ago Roger enlightened me to the fact that carbohydrates begin the digestive process in the mouth, using the enzyme amylase, distributed evenly to the mouthful by saliva and chewing. Protein is mainly digested in the stomach, (using strong acids), and fat in the small intesine. Hence the ability of dogs to wolf down a few big chunks of meat with little ill-effect.
We
humans tend to eat plenty of grains and carbohydrate dominated
vegetables, and would do be doing ourselves a favour to cultivate ‘the
longer chew’.
Because our proteins, fats and grains
are sometimes combined in less than optimal combinations there is even
more reason to chew: this gives the body ample time to sort out the
mixture.
Naturally the other major benefit of increased chewing is that we tend to eat less because we become aware of the level of contented satiation before reaching overload.
Remember, we’re not talking about extremist 100-chewarian behaviour, merely a conscious choice to appreciate the food and masticate more thoroughly.
Anna’s 4 BIG B’S:
tips on how to develop healthful chewing habits
1) BREATHE
Before beginning, breath in and out three times and truly ‘arrive’ at the table. This is a helpful transition from the pace of prior activities.
2) BREAK
Put down your implements between mouthfuls. This may seem challenging to begin with if the shovel instinct is ingrained, but I found this to be a very helpful practise, cultivated on many meditation retreats, where slowing down in everything is encouraged.
3) BITE SIZE
Try chopsticks for smaller mouthfuls and a more elegant style.
4) BEGIN AGAIN
If you suddenly find you’ve reached the glazed motifs of an empty plate and forgotten your good intentions, begin again next meal time. It can take two to four weeks to create a new positive habit in the body/mind. Start with the intention to chew just the first mouthful well. Anything more is a bonus!