EATING WITH AWARENESS

Are you eating with awareness?
Have you ever taken an hour or so to prepare a tasty meal with delightful presentation only to have your family or guests gobble it down in 5 minutes?! Your loving effort seems to be wasted. Yes they loved it so much that they gobbled it, but did they really enjoy it? the flavours, the textures?

Did they chew it?
Meals can be a time for gathering, catching up, connecting and sharing. If you are eating alone it can be a time for relaxing and reflection. On the contrary these days many of us are in such a rush, people are skipping breakfast grabbing a coffee and muffin on the go, fast food at lunch or a quick sandwich at the desk while working. After rush hour traffic and a long day at work too tired to cook, heating up something frozen or leftovers to be eaten in front of the television or computer.

How many people are suffering from digestive and elimination problems today? How many people are lacking nutrients? How many people end up snacking more and gaining weight?
Does this sound like you?

Did you know that if you chew your food until it is completely mush as if it had been in a blender then you will have better nutrient absorption, digestion and elimination? There are many health benefits of eating with awareness, the one that comes to my mind immediately is how we chew our food.

Digestion starts in the mouth.
The saliva has compounds in it which mix with the food preparing it for the stomach which has stronger acids to mix with the mashed food. Drinking water with meals is not helpful because it dilutes the gastric acids. Some people find they have better digestion if they drink a small glass of water with  natural apple cider vinegar 10 -15 mins before a large meal. Europeans commonly have a glass of wine with meals to improve digestion as wine is acidic. This maybe a good option for non-vegetarians.

As we age digestive acid production can slow down leading some people to look for aids such as digestive enzymes. After chewing our food the mush passes from the stomach into the intestines where all the nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream. The mush then moves on into the colon to be expelled as waste. If the food has been swallowed in clumps then some nutrients are being missed, and the clumps can get lodged in the intestinal walls to putrefy and create gases and bloating.  The colon can get backed up and become blocked causing constipation and other  digestive and elimination problems.

Stress can also diminish the proper release of gastric acids and also slow down peristalsis, the wave like motion which move food through the intestines. Therefore eating mindfully will help to create mental  as well as physical relaxation thus lead to better digestion. 

This is just a simple explanation of your digestive system, but it's enough to give you something to think about. If you have been inspired to be more mindful about your eating habits, then you may want to start making a bit more time for your meals. After all what is more important than your own personal health?

Try to schedule time for your meals even if it's just 10 minutes for breakfast, or 15-20 for lunch and a longer time for dinner. Sit without distraction so that you can enjoy the flavours and textures of your food while being aware of chewing it well before swallowing it.

Try this for 2 weeks and  see if you are feeling better physically and mentally. 

Brenda E. Bell
www.brendabell.ca

Are EMF'S making you sick?

We are constantly hearing about detox programs for our diet but not many people talk about clearing the dirty electricity or EMF's out of our system.Electromagnetic Field Emissions. This includes waves from microwave ovens, radio, television, wireless internet and cell phones. Think about it...it's all around us, we can't see it but our body and nervous system can feel it.

It is important to be aware that CFL's (compact fluorescent lamps) create "Dirty Electricity" increasing EMF's (electromagnetic field emissions) and UVR (ultraviolet radiation) all of which can compromise the immune system with over exposure. So if you work in an office or school you need to learn about this.

When I was a child in elementary school we sat by big windows and under old fashioned light bulbs. I was alert and did well, but when I was sent to a brand new middle school lit with fluorescent lighting I found myself unable to focus and fell asleep at my desk. I was eventually sent to the nurse's office after fainting. They thought it was low blood sugar, but once I got outside I was fine.

It was later after high school that I was informed that I was sensitive to fluorescent lighting and this affected my choices of work. When I returned to college after my years of professional dance, I was fortunate that the school used full spectrum lighting. This made a dramatic difference for me. I was alert and graduated with honours.

Health Canada is now warning that more than 3 hours of exposure to EMF's at a time is too much and they recommend taking regular breaks. If you Google this subject you will find many articles about this topic. It's no wonder that coffee is as popular as it is!

I learned a simple secret 40 years ago from Dr. Christopher a renown Canadian herbalist and health practitioner. He taught us to stand barefoot outside on the earth regardless of the season, for just a couple of minutes to ground out the electromagnetic emissions and static electricity from our body. He suggested wearing leather soled shoes instead of the rubber soles which were becoming more common. The rubber prevents the electrical currents from leaving the body. But these days that is difficult and not a welcomed feature for Vegans. So taking off our shoes and standing on the earth should become a regular practice, it only takes a minute or two. Yes it works when you stand on snow providing there is earth and not concrete below.

Dr. Christopher was teaching us this before we had internet and cell phones so imagine the load we are taking on now!

Static electricity has an irritating effect on the nervous system which can be the cause of headaches, insomnia, anxiety, poor memory, depression and mental alertness as well as compromise the immune system and contribute to other nervous disorders.

There are many other ways to combat this new phenomena if you care to do your research.

Individual Reiki sessions are a good way of helping to clear and balance the energy in our body. Yoga breath work is also a good method. Start wearing clothing made from natural fibres instead of polyester, acrylic and nylon, all which hold static electricity.

Try it and see if it works for you.

I am here to help you. Remember your wellness is my business!

Brenda E. Bell
www.brendabell.ca