Eat The Way You Make Your 2 Year-Old Eat

The problem with “healthy” living and eating isn’t necessarily knowing what to do. The problem is putting it into action.

For example, we know all of the right ways that we should be eating, and continually tell our little ones to do these things:

Take SMALL bites.
CHEW that bite before taking another.
SIT STILL at the table - no playing, no toys, no TV while you eat- those are for after dinner.
Eat your veggies before you have more pasta/meat.
No talking with your mouth full.

But how many of us, as crazy-busy adults squeezing in a meal whenever we have a spare minute, actually follow our own rules?

Many of us are more likely to fall into the “do as I say, not as I do” category when it comes to eating, but I am going to venture out and suggest something crazy:

Start to eat the way you tell your 2-year-old to eat. – Tweet it & tag me! @KimberlyHoye

Just give it a try for one week and see what happens~

Instead of taking bites of the extras from your kids meals here and there as you feed them, sit down at the table with your meal on your plate, and just focus on eating your own food for 5-10 minutes.

Instead of inhaling a bagel while you rush to get yourself packed and out the door in the morning, wait until you get to your destination and sit to take small bites, chew, and slowly enjoy your breakfast.

Giving this a try, even just for a week, you’ll notice many benefits. You will feel calmer, appreciate the extra time to slow down and focus on your meal (even if it is only 5-10 minutes), and actually notice and ENJOY the way that your food tastes. As if those benefits aren’t enough, you are also kick-starting your digestive system and burning MORE calories than if you kept eating as you were before (even though you are eating the EXACT same foods).

But how is that possible? It’s because digestion initially begins before you even place anything into your mouth. As you view your future meal on your plate in front of you and start to smell the aromas, your body starts to create saliva with digestive enzymes in it to help break down that food. Then, as you start to chew your food (instead of inhaling it), these enzymes begin to break it down, preparing your body to absorb all of the nutrients and get the most out of your meal and all of the vitamins and minerals it contains. Your saliva also makes the food more alkaline, which creates less gas, and helps with the digestion of your food.

If you don’t take the time to sit down, focus on your meal, and chew it up in small bites, then you don’t give your body the time to recognize the fact that it’s about to eat until about half-way through your meal. By this time, you’ve missed out on the nutrients from the first half, as well as the calorie-burning benefits of getting your digestive system revved up to process it all. In order to save yourself a few minutes of time in your day, you have failed to maximize your body’s innate efficiencies!

So do yourself a favor before your next meal: picture the instructions that you’d give your child as they are just learning how to eat properly, and follow those yourself! You already know what to do, and now you know the additional benefits of following your own advice, so it’s your turn to put it into action!

I can’t wait to hear how this little experiment changes your meals this week. Post it on twitter, instagram, my facebook page, or in a comment below! Be sure to tag me @kimberlyhoye and use the hashtag #healthandhappinessconnection so we can follow along!