Mindful Eating: How You Eat is Just as Important as What You Eat

Jon Yaneff/ Wake Up World

Often the relationships we cherish most are the ones we have with people. However, consider your relationship with your food. Are you at peace when you eat your meal? How do you feel after you finish your food? Are you angry while eating your food or are you stressed? Does your food yell back with fierce digestion repercussions such as bloating or chronic constipation?

“Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food,” said Hippocrates, the ancient Greek physician, often referred to as the father of Western medicine. And he had it right. When we have internal problems, what we’ve put into our bodies was most likely the culprit to our pain. Food can also heal the body, not just from what we eat, but how we eat. And that’s where mindful eatingcomes in.

If you have a diet consisting of poor quality, processed foods, there is often unmanaged stress on the body and your digestive system is compromised. Picture your digestive system like your local waste landfill. When garbage piles up, it is harmful for the environment. The same is true when layers of food build up on your intestinal wall. When food isn’t digested properly, it sits and ferments in the intestine, toxins are introduced into the bloodstream, feeding fungi and parasites. This further decreases the absorption of your food.

When you practice mindful eating, more of what you eat will be digested and you will feel noticeably better, inside and out! Follow these five mindful eating techniques to improve your digestion.

Eat in a Calm State

We live in a society where technology often controls our reins. We are on our phones, computers and T.V., talking, texting, working, or watching. Eating, however, should be your time, not controlled by your devices.

Put your cell phone on silent and close your laptop. This helps you be more relaxed. The parasympathetic nervous system in your body governs the digestive system, so when you’re operating under stress, your digestion system is compromised.

Choosing a calm and quiet environment and sitting at your kitchen table will allow you to relax. I mention the kitchen table, because a lot of times, people watch T.V. while eating and head to where that device is located. When you sit and eat, this helps your digestive tract, helping you focus on your meal and not your Twitter update.

After your meal, take a few minutes to rest, and allow your digestive process to begin. Common mindful practices such as enjoying nature, meditation, and yoga will help you prepare for mindful eating, improving your digestion system in the process.

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