Between Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, the Blue Jays’ ultimately tragic playoffs streak, and an epidemic of clowns trying to lure children into the woods, we have plenty of distractions nowadays. (Seriously, we really need Batman right now, guys.) All of which means a lot of eating in front of the TV. And I admit that we’ve fallen into this trap a few times in our home over the last few weeks.
Unfortunately, being distracted while eating is basically the worst, so I think this is a good time to talk about what happens to our digestion when we aren’t fully “present” while we eat, and why it’s important to avoid that.
Anyone who reads this column regularly or has attended one of my workshops has, at some point, heard me go off about digestion being one of the fundamentals of good health. So this might be redundant for some of you. That’s OK: It’s always a good idea to go back to the basics when we’ve lost our way.
To quote myself from a previous article: “Your digestive system is made up of several different organs working together for the common good, which is your health. Think of a hippie commune, but in your body… Digestion, simply put, is the process by which your body breaks down food into molecules that can be absorbed for nourishment. So, if it’s out of whack, it throws you off completely… If one hippie in the commune isn’t pulling its weight, it can throw the whole community off and cause chaos among the masses.”
Let’s all remember this the next time we decide to binge-eat while going down a Netflix rabbit hole.
Here are some tips to get you back on track:
Sit down while you eat
Don’t multitask during your meal. Sit down and enjoy your food – and I don’t mean in front of the TV, chewing while in anticipation of who Trump is going to offend next. Sit down at a table, take a deep, cleansing breath, and spend some intimate time with your food.
Lemon water
Adding lemon juice to your water encourages the production of bile, thus aiding digestion.
Chew your food
Seems simple enough, right? But it’s something many of us often don’t do thoroughly enough. Digestion starts in the mouth. The act of chewing not only breaks down food into smaller particles, thus making it easier to swallow; it also secretes saliva, which coats the food with enzymes that begin to digest fats and starches right in the mouth.
Aid your digestion by
• Eating smaller meals more often, as opposed to larger meals three times a day
• Decrease your intake of alcohol and red meat
• Decrease or cut out intake of stimulants, such as coffee and cigarettes
• Drink plenty of water, both during and between meals (and don’t forget that lemon juice)
RECIPE: Bean Salad with Avocado-Lime Vinaigrette
Ingredients:
In a large bowl, combine:
• 1 ½ cups chickpeas
• 1 ½ cups black beans
• 1 ½ cups kidney beans
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• ½ cup radishes, thinly sliced
• ½ cup cilantro, chopped
• ½ tbps dried oregano
Vinaigrette:
Combine the following in a food processor or blender:
• ½ cup fresh basil
• 1 avocado
• 1 small shallot, quartered
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp lime juice
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp salt and cracked pepper
Pour the vinaigrette over the rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly.
