The Best Bite You’ve Never Had

When it comes to food, it’s absolutely vital for life. If we do not nourish our bodies, they may shut down! We rely on food for several reasons - stayin’ alive (as the Bee Gees said), fueling our bodies for daily life activities, assisting our bones/muscles for growth, and helping protect our bodies from any harm (Injuries/diseases) they could possibly incur.

 Most of us already know this, right? Allow me to express some new information you may not know. Our bodies cannot create energy! The only possible way for our bodies to function properly, is by feeding its cells, which are beautiful and complex parts of our bodies.

 This post is not meant to be an anatomy lesson, however. Nor is it meant to emphasize the importance of macronutrients. While those things are highly important, they won’t have much of an impact if we are ignorant to the importance of the basics of eating. Yes, eating! Let’s discuss sitting down and actually consuming your food. This is so vital for being able to reach goals with nutrition and functionality. Why is this so important, you ask? Let’s get into some key reasons.

1. Food is vital for life and we should be enjoying it. What does this imply, exactly? Simply put, food should be enjoyable at all times. When we are making breakfast, lunch, and dinner, it is very important for our bodies to smell our food. When our noses pick up that heavenly aromas, they start preparing our bodies for all of the sensations to come. Our noses send a signal to our taste buds, which begin to salivate. That salivating triggers a signal to our gastro intestines (the stomach). Just like how our brains have a nervous system to receive signals/information, our stomach also has a nervous system called the enteric system. We could think of this as the second brain of our bodies. What can we collect from this? Our stomach wants to enjoy our food in order to have the greatest functionality possible. So, when we sit down to enjoy a meal, smell it, and allow the scents to kickstart our stomach for an awesome meal.

2. Implementing whole foods as best as we can. If it comes from/out of the earth, eat it! Our bodies crave meats, vegetables, fruit, and nutritious starches. When we plug whole foods into our lives, our bodies can fire on all cylinders, which is how we all want to live every single day! Whole foods can be digested much easier than processed foods due to minimal ingredients. In addition to that, all of the vitamins and minerals offered in whole foods help our bodies to get every bit of nutrition they need to thrive. Our cells are more productive and stronger when our bodies take in foods that are high in nutrient value. On the contrary, foods that are preserved, processed, and loaded with dozens of ingredients, can have negative effects on our bodies and minds. Consuming low-nutrient foods can hinder daily activities, lower performance in the gym, cause poor bathroom visits, and can even affect behavior/hormonal responses. Remember, our stomach is like a second brain. Let’s feed our brains high-quality foods!

3. Chewing our food as carefully as possible. I cannot stress enough the importance of understanding that our stomach is a muscle. It contracts when we are consuming food. As stated before, our stomach wants to enjoy the digestive process for the greatest functionality. Chewing our food slowly (also known as mastication) means that we’re allowing smooth and effective movement in our stomach. When we take a bite of food, let’s try and shoot for chewing up each piece around 20-30 times. Doing this will not only strengthen our nervous system in our stomach, but it will also deliver the nutrients properly. This is huge in getting stronger in the gym and even losing body fat. So, let’s enjoy each bite to the fullest by chewing more!

4. Putting our utensil down after each bite. This next action step flows straight from the last point. While we are chewing our food, let’s set our utensil down, and take a break. This action step will force us to slow down with each bite and really be cognizant of chewing thoroughly. Eating slowly is the key here! This will also help us to focus on one bite at a time and not shoveling in another helping while we are still chewing our last bite. To reiterate, this is extremely helpful to our stomach, and its nervous system. The downside of not setting our utensil down is eating too quickly, which can be too heavy a demand on our digestive system. It can cause us to be unable to breathe/enjoy our food thoroughly, and it can disrupt the daily rhythm of life. It is so good to slow down, take a break, and focus on our nutritious meal.

5. Not surrounding our meal time with distractions. Turn the tv off, and put the toys/tablets/phones away. One of the best ways to enjoy the food in front of us is to be at the table with family/friends. Community is what keeps our behavior/hormones healthy and sharp. It is also very conducive for physical longevity. In between each bite, as we set our utensils down, let’s take time to communicate with family/friends at our table. This will allow us to be intentional with the pace of our meal, and be able to grow closer as a group/family.

 If we put these steps into action, it will help create healthier habits that can truly pay big dividends. When making changes in our lives, it can be challenging, but starting with the little things will make habits that create big change. Let’s try plugging these five action steps into our meal time and see how it can change us for the better!

1. Enjoy our food

2. Implement whole foods 

3. Chew our food well

4. Put our utensils down

5. Cut out distractions by having a family meal

- Coach Matt Blanton