Do you chew your food?
Friday, February 22nd, 2008Because I sure as hell don’t. I just ate a triple decker PB & J in about 3 bites WTF! It’s a goal I’ve always had and never fully mastered. I can easily abstain from putting crap in my body like animal flesh, milk chocolate, and soda pop, but when it comes to consuming my delicious vegan meals I can’t help but wolf them down like a grizzly bear about to hit the sack for winter hibernation. It’s just my instinct. Anyone who has dined with me can attest to the fact that I eat a ton. My ability to pack in massive quantities of food in my incredibly skinny body has made many marvel at my stomachs capacity. I remember this summer telling Li Baba (Chia’s father) that my legs were hallow. He didn’t really understand what I meant until we ate a couple meals together. We have a contest at our table, last person eating wins. I always lose by a landslide. My best reasoning as to the cause of this digestive dilemma is school. Through my entire public (and private) education lunch was a wham-bam-thank you mam sort of deal. Especially if you ended up at the end of the line and were left with much less time to eat than the kids who cut to the front. Not to mention recess if you finished early. Chewing your food to a liquidy pulp (that’s right liquidy) is so critical, and actually requires much more than 25 chews (try counting). Any food doctor, dietician, or naturalist could tell you a great deal more than me about how digestion begins in the mouth. Taking food into our bodies should be a sacred activity, one that requires focus and thought. I’m going to try harder to chew longer, but I’m not making any promises. Old habits die hard.
Zach