When my friend returns, I continue our conversation and they start to notice (because their face is finally not buried in the plate) that in between each bite I’m putting my fork down. I comment on how good our meal tastes and they soon realize that they didn’t have much of an opinion on the taste because they inhaled the meal. Then they asked, why do I need to go to the restroom directly after my first bite?

There could be multiple answers for this one, but the first diagnosis is to slow down.

Here are my top 5 Tips on How To Improve Digestion & Use Food for Fuel. 

1. Chew slow to eat slow – when you bite your cheek or your tongue it’s usually because you are treating your food like a race. Start with 10 chews to every bite, build to 20 and slow each one down.

2. Smaller utensils – while in Paris I find that all the utensils are smaller… which forces me to eat slower and eat less.

3. Put down your small utensils – between each bite put it down, look around, benefit: taste your food.

4. Dim the lights – bring about a sense of calm while you dine… studies show that if you can calm your body and brain – you can slow down your eating.

5. Mix it up – use your non dominant hand or chopsticks to intentionally slow down. When you complete your meal you will feel energized vs tired.

Bonjour from Paris,