How do you Eat?

Everyone always focuses on what we eat, but very few talk about how we eat. So let me give you some things to think about.

If we take the time and effort to prepare good, wholesome food, it is important that we eat it in a way that is also nourishing to the body and soul. Firstly, we should be eating sitting down, and this is an area in which I have the most trouble. When we are seated, the muscles of motion, the legs, are relaxed. The body is in a prime position to work on digestive duties. When we eat standing up, walking about, or while we are doing other chores we are drastically limiting our body’s ability to digest food properly because we are sending it mixed signals. Standing up or walking while eating tells the body that we are ready to go, not ready to digest. Stress hormones are circulating such as adrenaline and cortisol, which inhibit the release of digestive enzymes while blood rushes away from the GI tract and toward the muscles of motion. Also, if we are doing other things while we are eating, we are less apt to chew our food thoroughly, which is the major first step in good digestion, particularly of carbohydrates. We need to be seated when we are eating.

We also should focus on eating when we are eating, not on reading or watching tv or doing desk work. I know, we are the queens of multi-tasking, but give yourselves a break and make mealtime sacred. Enjoy the food whole-heartedly, chew well, and savor the experience. Look at your food, not the computer screen, and smell it and feel it in your mouth. This makes for better digestion and for better health. While we are at it, we need to give thanks for the food we eat, and recognize where it comes from.

For those of us who are trying to lose weight, paying attention to how we eat will help with the process. Practicing mindful eating habits makes us more aware of what we are eating, slows us down and allows our bodies to feel fullness appropriately. The body releases hormones which trigger satiety, and these hormones kick in after roughly 15-20 minutes. Can you see where wolfing down your sandwich in 3 minutes flat will leave you craving for more?

I encourage you to pay attention to how you are eating, as well as to what you are eating. Let it be a practice in meditation for you. Allow all of your senses to participate.