When you eat how many times do you chew your food? Not enough is my guess. I know I have a real problem with this. I was made aware of how bad my chewing habits are as a result of some major stomach surgery that is requiring me to practice proper chewing. I often think of the words of my late Father-in-law, Dr. Harmon.
Long before the terminology mindful eating or mindful chewing became "cool" my Father-in-law was practicing correct chewing techniques. For ease and clarity of writing I will call him Dr. Harmon in this blog.
He was born in the small town of Dunn, North Carolina. I wish I could share more of his life with you because it is so interesting but that will have to be a later blog. He needs to have his own life story. In this blog we will stick with chewing. I am going to do my best to resist the temptation of talking about other things in Dr. Harmon's life such as how many babies he delivered from horseback, about the hound dog that was sleeping on the pile of "clean rags" he was suppose to use for the baby birthing.
When we were having those big family gatherings for Holidays gulping down more food than we needed, Dr. Harmon would gently remind us to chew. He believed in chewing 25 to 30 times per bite. This he said would allow the saliva to do its job. Our food would become moist and filled with digestive enzymes produced by the saliva. Then when we swallow the moist food easily slides down our esophagus where it is fed into our waiting stomach that has naturally been primed with more digestive juices. The stomach juices continue the digestive process causing needed nutrients to be extracted that our bodies can use to thrive. The stomach does not have teeth.
Yes really, the stomach does not have teeth but think how many of us in the gulping of our food do ask our stomach with no teeth to chew. Alas, our food has to pass through as best it can perhaps going rancid in our gut causing who knows what kinds of problems. I feel almost ill when I think of what I have been doing to my body and I know I am not alone.
Now that I have to chew before swallowing I find that it takes a "mindful" effort. I have to think about eating. Sometimes, I forget and swallow to soon and I sit there in a state of worried guilt questioning, "Oh no, what have I done?" I believe it will be awhile before I am a perfect chewer as I have many years of bad habits to overcome even with a Father-in-law who tried to teach me right. It does make me smile when I think of my poor toothless stomach ready for nicely moist food to slide out of the esophagus only to be hit with a chunk of badly processed food instead. My friend Edwina drew us this great cartoon.
Here are some food techniques that help me.
Take reasonable bites, put my fork down, count to 30 chews sometime less with really moist foods, slowly swallow, have only a few sips of water with my meal (less than half a glass of liquid).
I am finding that "mindful eating" just happens naturally when you chew. I think about my food and all the work from seed to my table, I taste it, notice its texture, think about the nutrients in it and how good they will be to feed my body. I think about the sunshine and rain that helped it thrive and the hardworking hands that worked the fields, about the truckers that drove it to market, the stores that sell it. I also find I eat less. Meals take longer and are much more satisfying in many ways. I say Thank You to God for wonderful blessings.
Chew Enough, one of my current goals.
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