chew my food thoroughly before i swallow

The key is making sure that I give myself enough time to eat. If I don’t do that, I have to bolt my dinner. Not fun.

Speaking of which, time for dinner!

I have to find some way to balance my need for punctuality with my desire to chew my food more thoroughly. I need to learn to chew carefully yet efficiently. I should also plan ahead a bit more.

Today I was rushed for time for both breakfast and lunch. However, for both meals, I was able to take a second and slow down rather than gulping with abandon. It only cost me a few minutes more. I don’t regret those extra 2 or 3 minutes, and I’m sure my body is happier because of it.

However, I’m noticing more and more how often I eat while doing other things. It’s difficult to remember to chew thoroughly if I’m reading or watching tv or checking my email while eating.

This is going to be a really hard habit to break – I really like eating while reading especially. Not sure that I can break it all the way, but I’m going to try to not eat while watching tv, at least.

Noticing also that I have several reasons for rushing my eating. 1. Lack of time. I like to cook for myself, but there are nights where I don’t have much time to do this AND eat food before going where I have to be. Also, in the mornings if I don’t allow myself enough time. 2. HUNGER. Sometimes I am so hungry I can hardly stand to slow down. Last night, I got STARVED while waiting for dinner. Instead of waiting for it to be done and bolting my food, I gave myself permission to have a small snack. I was able to sit down when dinner was ready and eat at a normal pace.

...when I remember.

The tough part is remembering. I’m apt to be halfway through a dish of “x” before I recall that I should be chewing carefully.

I need to come up with some way of reminding myself. Perhaps I should start saying grace before I eat again?

A LOT.

As I’m trying to eat more mindfully, I’m realizing that most of the time, I snarf down food with minimal chewing. I’m not a macrobiotic nut or anything, but this strikes me as a bad thing.

It can’t be good for digestion.

And what good is enjoying food if I’m not enjoying every bite consciously?

Also, given the fact that I’m trying to reduce size (if not weight), it seems to me that anything that forces me to slow down my eating would be a positive thing.

I’m eating carrots right now and thoroughly chewing them. It seems like a lot of work. :) I’m not going to be obsessive and count how many times I chew each mouthful. I will go by mouthfeel. Big chunks? Chew some more!