The importance of nourishing your body cannot be overstated, and as with most important tasks, it is usually best performed alone. Science has shown that our brains are not designed for multitasking. It has been shown that brain function decreases when we try to do two things at once, resulting in a disorganized state of thinking and an inability to focus.

Eating in Silence

Psychologically, chewing in silence makes you more present and aware of the food’s flavor and texture. In our modern society, meal times are thought to be a time to talk with others. Yet, if you test it, you might find that talking affects digestion. When you talk, your abdomen may tense up, which isn’t helpful for digestion. Especially if you’re discussing disturbing issues like financial troubles, a bad day at school, or the latest horror story on the news. It would be far healthier to have an after-dinner conversation over tea, or to go on a walk (which improves digestion) with your partner or family instead of watching television.

Also, most adults have very little time to meditate, pray, and be aware of what is happening around them. From a psychological perspective, these practices promote the calmness and efficiency of the brain, improving our overall health. Perhaps it would be helpful to consider the idea of transforming your meals into a time when you can meditate, pray, and live in a state of awareness.

This may be difficult to accomplish if you have guests are over or you are eating out. Perhaps you eat in a staff lunch area where eating in silence would be considered antisocial. Or maybe you can’t convince your family to go along with it. So how can you chew thoroughly while also talking? It’s simple. Talk less, and listen more.

A good solution would be for one person to speak at a time, while the others chew and listen. Asking questions that get other people talking is one way to make this happen. Otherwise, awkward silence or a non-communicative family could encourage people to eat too fast.

Eating with Music

If you and you’re family are used to eating in front of the TV, eating in silence my be boring at first, and you definitely don’t want to be bored while eating. Boredom usually motivates you to finish your meal as quickly as possible, which results in improper chewing. Putting on music is a great solution. Listening to music may help avoid any awkwardness your family may feel eating together in silence.

There are some people who benefit from playing calming instrumental music while they eat to aid digestion. However, if you tend to have a sluggish digestion system, maybe listening to something lively would be a good idea. As long as you are able to focus on chewing, use whatever helps you.

Reading, Eating and the TV

When you’re eating, reading or watching TV isn’t ideal. Even so, you are probably better off chewing your food properly while watching TV or reading a book – compared to wolfing it down to be able to get to the TV or book. It may be more convenient for you to listen to an audio book than a physical book when you are trying to eat as well.

As you can see, chewing is essential for gut health. The practice of chewing thoroughly improves digestion while providing an opporutnity to practice mindfulness. While watching TV or talking while you eat is best avoided, chewing enough to aid digestion is the most important thing. So if your lifestyle dictates you have to eat and multitask, it’s more important to pay attention to how you chew your food than other things. However if you are really interested in improving your digestive health, you should try to remove any distractions and concentrate on the sensory experience of eating rather than the sounds. Your gut will thank you!