The Art of Chewing

Ayurveda teaches us that our digestive fire—our agni—supports both the way we digest our food and the way we digest life. You may understand this through the ‘gut-brain’ connection or just through the embodied knowing that when you are feeling peaceful in your life you are better able to enjoy and digest what you consume physically. 

In fact, 95 percent of the body’s serotonin is found in the bowels, 70 percent of the body’s immune system is dedicated to the digestive system, and there are between 200-600 million neurons in the enteric nervous system (the lining of your entire digestive tract)—the same number as in the spinal cord. The gut is your second brain and is constantly sending signals through your nervous system that dictate how you experience life. 

It’s no wonder then, that Ayurveda understands a healthy agni, or healthy digestive fire, as the key to wellbeing and longevity. Indigestion is the root cause of discomfort and disease.  And it goes both ways—the more we support our emotional wellbeing, the better we will digest our food, and the more we support our physical digestion, the better we will digest life. 

Chewing to Support Digestion

Physical digestion starts in the mouth with the process of tasting and chewing. When we taste our food, not only do we enjoy it more, but the food mixing with our saliva begins to send messages to the digestive system to increase the production of enzymes so that we are able to break down and assimilate the food later on in the digestive process.  

The mechanical action of chewing is also key to healthy digestion. Ayurveda teaches us that our body is only able to assimilate nutrients from the liquid part of what we swallow. Not to mention the amount of energy it costs for the stomach to break down chunks of food that have not been chewed properly. Even a quick glance at the shape of our molars will help remind us—we were designed to chew our food.

Cultivating the Habit

It sounds funny to say because chewing is such a simple thing, and is ideally second nature by the time we’re an adult. However the rapid increase in the pace of life has translated into fast food, fast eating, and less chewing. Emotional or stress eating can also be a major hinderance to tasting and chewing food. Additionally, it seems many of us just weren’t taught properly or we plain forgot! 

It was only a few years ago that I learned how to chew my food properly, and even with great enthusiasm and motivation, it was incredibly hard to change my habits. It took several months of dedicated effort before it became second nature (and I can sometimes fall back in the habit of eating quickly if I’m under stress), but the simple act of chewing has made a monumental difference in the way I experience and digest my food—and the way I enjoy my life. 

Some strategies that can help you build the habit of chewing your food completely before swallowing it:

The way we eat is entrenched in us through habit, cultural and familial memory, and our ways of dealing with emotions and stress. If you pay attention, you will begin to notice that the way you intake your food reflects the way you are consuming your life. It takes consistent effort, but making positive changes to the way you eat will inevitability affect every aspect of your life. Be patient, loving and curious with yourself as you go through the process. Know that it does get easier, but the journey is part of the adventure. 

No matter what else is happening in life, slow down, smile, and chew your food 🙂

References

© Mohala Healing & Wellness