Chew slowly
My stomach is upset right now because I didn't chew my food properly this morning. It's bloated and gassy, rumbling, and I'm burping. I was in a hurry as many people are when eating. I swallowed big bites, which means I won't get the nutrition from the healthy meal I prepared. Swallowing big bites means improper digestion and all the assorted unpleasant symptoms.
Eating too quickly is a big problem for many people but it is a HUGE problem for someone with food intolerances. Those of us with food intolerances have enough digestive problems. Our digestive tracts may have been damaged; we lack many digestive enzymes; we probably have multiple food intolerances; some suffer from bacterial overgrowths; and we may have nutritional deficiencies.
And then, here I go gobbling up my meal. Yes, it takes longer to eat a meal slowly but the benefits our enormous for one's health. Chewing slowly is the beginning of the digestive process. By breaking up food into smaller pieces, your food is more easily digested. That's right, we're not snakes. We can't swallow our food whole and then digest it.
Chewing releases saliva which contains digestive enzymes. The longer you chew, the more time these enzymes have to start breaking down your food. All of this makes digestion easier on your body and your body more able to absorb nutrients from the food. It also means you may be able to tolerate some of a particular food that has been causing you problems.
I, of course, have promised many times not to violate the rule: “I will not eat my food quickly.” But I've already confessed that I violate this rule when I am in a hurry and/or really hungry.
Every time I violate this rule I am undermining all my other efforts to control my digestive symptoms. Are you like me? Then, this is what we need to do all the time.
•Take smaller bites of food.
•Chew slowly
•Chew until each bite of food has been liquified or lost all of its texture.
•Finish chewing and swallowing completely before taking another bite of food.
•Wait to drink fluids until you've swallowed your bite of food.
•Don't talk while eating.
•Don't eat with your mouth open as you swallow air.
What do you do if you are crunched for time?
•Eat just enough to alleviate your hunger.
•Save the rest to eat later as a snack.
Eating too quickly is a big problem for many people but it is a HUGE problem for someone with food intolerances. Those of us with food intolerances have enough digestive problems. Our digestive tracts may have been damaged; we lack many digestive enzymes; we probably have multiple food intolerances; some suffer from bacterial overgrowths; and we may have nutritional deficiencies.
And then, here I go gobbling up my meal. Yes, it takes longer to eat a meal slowly but the benefits our enormous for one's health. Chewing slowly is the beginning of the digestive process. By breaking up food into smaller pieces, your food is more easily digested. That's right, we're not snakes. We can't swallow our food whole and then digest it.
Chewing releases saliva which contains digestive enzymes. The longer you chew, the more time these enzymes have to start breaking down your food. All of this makes digestion easier on your body and your body more able to absorb nutrients from the food. It also means you may be able to tolerate some of a particular food that has been causing you problems.
I, of course, have promised many times not to violate the rule: “I will not eat my food quickly.” But I've already confessed that I violate this rule when I am in a hurry and/or really hungry.
Every time I violate this rule I am undermining all my other efforts to control my digestive symptoms. Are you like me? Then, this is what we need to do all the time.
•Take smaller bites of food.
•Chew slowly
•Chew until each bite of food has been liquified or lost all of its texture.
•Finish chewing and swallowing completely before taking another bite of food.
•Wait to drink fluids until you've swallowed your bite of food.
•Don't talk while eating.
•Don't eat with your mouth open as you swallow air.
What do you do if you are crunched for time?
•Eat just enough to alleviate your hunger.
•Save the rest to eat later as a snack.
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