4 Ways to Maximize Your Metabolism
Which scenario describes your typical meal-time experience? 1 or 2:
You have time to enjoy the smells of your food as it is prepared. When it's time to eat, you are relaxed and take your time, enjoying each bite.
You are just grateful for food to be in front of you! You continue to work or have something else going on while you eat so that you really aren't thinking about the meal and you are finished in five minutes or less.
Who you are being while you eat is just as important as what you are eating! It all goes back to the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS). It's either in the 'fight or flight' mode or in the 'relaxed' mode.
To get the most out of your meals, you need to be in a relaxed state so that your body can digest food properly and absorb the nutrients available. Remember: you aren't what you eat . . . You are what you absorb.
Here are 4 things that you can do to make each meal more enjoyable AND help your metabolism to work better.
1 - Breath: I know you are pretty much doing this all the time, but deep, relaxing breaths can trick your ANS into believing you are relaxed even when that isn't exactly the case. Try this exercise right before you eat to calm everything down. It's called 5-5-7 Breathing. Take a deep breath for the count of 5, hold it for 5 counts and breath out for 7 counts. Repeat this 5 to 10 times. You will find that you feel much calmer. (Tip: this can be done anytime stress is getting the better of you!)
2 - Chew: Again, it sounds pretty basic, but did you know that on average, we tend to swallow food after chewing only 3 times?! That makes digestion sooooo much harder. To really help your digestion and you will feel full eating less food, chew each bite 20 times. Will this make you the last one at the table? Very possibly, but you will feel better in the end ;)
3 - Put Your Fork Down: Have you noticed how we have the habit of having food ready to go into our mouths before we have finished the bite we are working on? A great habit to help you slow down while you eat is to put your utensils down in between bites.
4 - Just Eat: I have been the worst at NOT multi-tasking while I eat. It seemed like wasted time that I could continue to work as I ate. Yay, that doesn't really help your body get into a relaxed state. You don't need 30 minutes, but try for at least 10 minutes for breakfast and lunch and maybe 20 for dinner.
Following these simple steps can truly help your body and spirit enjoy eating while getting the best nutritional benefits from your food.
To your health,
Renee
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