It is not just what we eat, but how we eat…

Are you eating all the “right” foods and just don’t understand why you are still bloated and feeling sick? 

Perhaps you are eating in a rushed or stressed out state?

I live for meal time. I love the moments we take the time to gather together and share in a nutritious meal that was made with love. 

There’s many times that while working as a waitress or a nurse, I shoveled food in my mouth, not even being aware or present of what was in front of me. I would come out of the break room like a chipmunk still chewing but needing to get back to work. Anyone that spends one day with me knows this chipmunk face. 

After I had my son, meal time has kinda been the same: Rushed, sometimes skipped, and definitely still chipmunk face down the hall or getting into the car. And if he was crying, it was definitely stressful and not enjoyable. 

I feel like it’s actually equally important to eat in a relaxed state as it is to eat a nutritious meal. 

This can be so hard in our modern day. We are juggling 765 things at once. Here are some things that have helped me to relax at meal time: 

• Plan ahead (apple, sandwich, protein bar always on hand)

• Put the phone away

• Say a prayer

• Look at your food. What does it look like?

• Set and intention

• Name one thing you’re grateful for

• Take a deep breathe in through nose and exhale fully out making any kind of noise that feels good or hum.

• Eat as a family or community

• CHEW!

• Make it fun

Setting an intention or prayer beforehand is a great way to become present and mindful.  It can take 10 seconds. 

It’s also a wonderful way to have a connection with our food and begin our intuitive flow with meal times. 

It’s so important to make meal time family time and connect with each other. Studies have shown it actually gives our children more confidence. 

Being in a relaxed state allows the production of needed digestive enzymes and lets our parasympathetic nervous system – the “rest and digest” system – to work optimally. The gut is connected to our emotions (gut-brain axis), so having feelings of stress and anxiety when we eat can lead to digestive malfunction. 

This can present a variety of different symptoms from: 

Belly aches, bloating, headaches, indigestion, nausea, and overall bodily distress because our gut is not able to pull all the nutrients from our food. 

Do you have rituals around meal time that help you relax or are you eating in a rushed state too?