Keeping count of chewing -for a challenge it’s certainly do-able but for a lifestyle change? Can counting to 30 for each and every bite loan an attentive ear to a friendly conversation or will it crowd the mind with unordered numbers and a sense of frustration?
This is an area that we can apply a thoughtful and mathematical approach to easing this concern. Like the analysis found in chemistry, such as the idea of using mass as a means of determining the number of moles of a compound, we too can make smart work of chewing! Chewing is math (and math is beautiful)!
What are some possible techniques that could be applied to achieving the 30 chews without counting each and every time?
- Texture awareness
- This is the most visceral and simplest -however, it does require vigilance and a steadfast approach. By using this challenge to acquaint yourself with the smoothness of the food that you’ve chewed and swallowed, you can then bring your attention and focus to this quality and aim for the same consistency for each swallow.
- Recall that foods of a semi-solid nature still needs ‘chewing’ -it can be tempting to suck back yogurt and justify doing so by the texture, but you’ll support your digestion by taking a few moments to ‘chew’ smoothies and soups.
- This is the most visceral and simplest -however, it does require vigilance and a steadfast approach. By using this challenge to acquaint yourself with the smoothness of the food that you’ve chewed and swallowed, you can then bring your attention and focus to this quality and aim for the same consistency for each swallow.
- Breathing and eating
- Whether it’s working out, yoga, meditation, anger management or simply breathing to enjoy being alive, being conscious of the breath can be a challenge in and of itself. For those who appreciate a mindful way of living, this may be a great technique for you. Observe how many breathes you take when eating in a relaxed manner and chewing fully. Aim for this breathwork as a gauge for chewing.
- Timing of 30 chews
- For the analytically-minded person, you can try timing chewing 30 times. Do this several times over the course of several meals. Take the average time it takes to chew 30 times and use time as a means of measuring chewing.
- Calculation of portion size (with or without time).
- Knowing how many bites of food your meals generally contain can also be a point of helping manage portion size and the ability to finish a complete meal without rushing.
- Aim for enjoying a meal for a full 20 minutes.
Suffice to say, each of these techniques requires your time to take note and better understand yourself. This challenge provides you the opportunity to do just that.
Of course, counting works perfectly well – 3 counts of 10, 2 counts of 10, and then a back count from ten to zero. See what feels most comfortable for you.
Happy chewing!
