At its most basic level, digestion is the process of breaking down food (complex molecules) into small enough components that our body can absorb and use. I have written many articles about the digestive process:
- importance of your microbiome in digestion
- how stress affects your digestion (spoiler alert: it’s not good)
- how to douse heartburn fire
- improve your digestion for better health, energy and vitality
I write so much about the digestive process because it’s one of the cornerstones of good health and energy, along with movement and sleep.
Disease is a multi-layered and complex condition. Digestive system imbalance and dysfunction is often a sign of other underlying problems. Building the foundational habits in nutrition, movement, lifestyle and mindset are critical components to living a long and vital life. Check out my e-course “6 Weeks to Abundant Health” for a step-by-step plan to get those four areas dialed in.
So what is this one simple thing you can do to dramatically increase your digestive health, pretty much instantly?
Eat. Slowly. And. Mindfully.
Here’s how:
- Slow down and sit down. At a real table. With silverware and dishes.
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- PRO TIP: Use your best china, the stuff that you’re saving for a “special occasion”. Eating is a special occasion. Treat it as such.
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- Enjoy your food. Savor the smells, flavors, and textures of the food.
- Put your utensils down between bites. Chew thoroughly.
- Don’t look at a screen.
- Play relaxing music if you like.
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- PRO TIP: Light some candles for ambiance. Even if it’s just you and your cat dining together. You’re worth it!
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That’s all there is to it. It’s that easy. And that hard.
I know, I know. So many of us want a magic pill. Or THE DIET that tells us what to eat so we don’t have to think about it. Some special super food supplement we can take while we continue on with all our unproductive and self-defeating habits.
There’s so much focus on what to eat. And little to no discussion about how to eat. Paleo, keto, vegan, gluten-free, Zone diet, South Beach diet (I’m dating myself on that one), organic, the list of food choices is endless. And so many of us eat over the sink, in our cars, zoned out in front of a screen of some sort, that we often don’t even realize we ate until the food is all gone.
Perfection is not the goal. Progress is.
Why you should try mindful eating right away
- You will enjoy your food more when you take your time to savor every bite.
- When you wolf down your food, large bites of food and very little chewing are usually involved. Eating mindfully, by its nature, means small bites and lots of chewing, which in turn leads to…
- Improved digestion. Eating slowly and mindfully turns on our parasympathetic nervous system, aka our Rest and Digest response.
- Improved digestion means less heartburn, bloating, cramping, belching, etc… Or maybe even none at all!
- Another benefit of improved digestion is better nutrient absorption and assimilation. Poorly digested food doesn’t do our body any good, no matter what the food is.
- You will build a better relationship with your body. Eating slowly and pausing between bites will allow you to recognize your body’s fullness signals. When you pause between bites and feel your body, you are less likely to continue eating past your satiation point. And that means…
- You will eat less. In fact, it’s almost impossible to overeat when you savor every bite. It takes about 20 minutes for the “full” signal from our stomach to reach our brain. That’s a lot of time to continue eating when your body doesn’t need more fuel. Excess calories end up as fat. But you already knew that part.
I can already hear some of you saying “That’s all well and good, Regina, but I don’t have time to eat slowly. I’m lucky if I get to throw an energy bar in my mouth before 9 pm every night!”.
Another potential pitfall is that it may fell like you are “wasting time” to sit down and eat. A leisurely meal may feel like a luxury you can’t afford. Or you might panic a little at the thought of being alone with the sound of chewing and … your thoughts.
So start small. For three days, record how long it takes you to eat dinner. And then for the next three days, aim to add one minute to the average time. And the next three days after that, add another minute. Or aim to pause between bites for one breath. Go slow with making changes so they are manageable and will stick.
Yes, it will take some commitment and effort to make the time to eat in an unhurried way. But I promise you it’s worth the effort!
Let me know how your mindful eating experiment goes in the comments!
