Mindful Eating

Basics of Mastication & Mindful Eating

Let’s get back to the basics. Our digestion starts as soon as food enter out mouth. We breakdown large food particles to smaller sizes, as we blend the pieces with our salivary enzymes. We use both mechanical and chemical ways to make a large chunk of food to something our gastrointestinal system can process.

Why am I talking about something we’ve already learned and mastered at age 1? Because most of us actually have not mastered this elementary step! We often need to eat on the go or fit in our meals between somewhere in our busy schedules. This results in eating at our desks, in the car en route, multi-tasking, mindlessly watching our phones while rushing to finish our meals.

If we pay even closer attention to our eating habits, we may notice that we swallow big chunks of food without adequate chewing and swallow with the help of water or other fluids for lubrication.

Do you wonder why you feel uncomfortable after our meals? You may be feeling bloated, overly full, or even be experiencing reflux and bowel irregularities.

TO DO:

• Set a time and place where you can enjoy your meals

• Enjoy your food with your eyes and give thanks for the food

• Take each bite and chew slowly and swallow without assistance of any fluids

Water intake

If you are struggling to drink 8 cups of water a day (as the doctor recommends), here ‘s a tip to your watering schedule:

• Drink 1 cup of water upon waking up, and before bed = 2 cups

• Drink 1 cup of water 30 minutes before meals = 3 cups

• Drink 2 cup of water 1 hour after meals = 3 cups

  Total water intake = 8 cups

Is your meal energetically balanced?

Proteins, Carbohydrates, Fibers, Fats are some of the components of the food that we think about and try to balance in our food intake.

But did you know that each food also has an energetic component as well as its chemical makeup? Proteins such as crab or octopus may be considered cooling foods, while proteins like lamb and chicken are considered heating foods.

If you observe closely at some of the Chinese and Korean cuisines, you will notice that the dishes are balanced energetically, based on the traditional Chinese medicine principles. Also certain dishes are served in specific seasons and regions to balance and protect the body. When you plan your meals and formulate your recipes, keep this list in mind so that your food is energetically balanced, which will optimize you body’s energy.

• Hot foods: Cayenne/chillies, Cinnamon, Garlic, Ginger, Horseradish, Mustard, Pepper, Trout, Lamb

• Warm foods: Milk, Butter, Lentils, Black bean, Blackberry, Cherry, Date, Lychee, Peach, Pepper, Parsnip, Green Onion, Squash, Sweet Potato, Mustard Greens, Leeks, Kale, Cilantro, Chestnut, Coconut, Pine Nut, Walnut, Most Fish and Meats

• Cool foods: Lima Beans, Mung Beans, Soy Beans, Tofu, Barley, Buckwheat, Wheat, Wild Rice, Apple, Avocado, Blueberry, Orange, Pear, Strawberry, Tangerine, Mint, Nettle, Tamarind, Artichoke, Eggplant, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Celery, Zucchini, Cucumber, Lettuce, Mushroom, Radish, Spinach, Chard, Sesame Oil, Soy Sauce

• Cold foods: Asparagus, Bambo, Dandelion, Mung Bean Sprouts, Plantain, Seaweed, Tomato, Water Chestnut, Kelp, Banana, Cranberry, Grapefruit, Lemon/Lime, Mango, Melon, Persimmon, Rhubarb, Watermelon, Millet, Wheat Germ, Yoghurt, Clam, Crab, and Octopus, and Most Raw Foods