Hi! It’s my first blog here on the Patch… I’m really excited to be here.

As a certified health coach, I work with clients to help them lose and maintain weight, make better food choices and learn to live healthier lifestyles. I plan to share tips on food, recipes, and more on the Patch, so please check in regularly!

When it comes to increased health, it's not just what we eat, but how we eat.

Digestion actually begins in the mouth, where contact with our teeth and digestive enzymes in our saliva break down food. But these days, most of us rush through the whole eating experience, barely acknowledging what we're putting in our mouths. We eat while distracted—working, reading, talking and watching television—and swallow our food practically whole.

On average, we chew each bite only eight times—it's no wonder that many people have digestive problems.

There are many great reasons to slow down and chew your food.

• Saliva breaks down food into simple sugars, creating a sweeter taste. The more we chew, the sweeter our food becomes, so we don't crave those after-meal sweets.
• Chewing reduces digestive distress and improves assimilation, allowing our bodies to absorb maximum nutrition from each bite of food.
• More chewing produces more endorphins, the brain chemicals responsible for creating good feelings.
• Chewing is helpful for weight loss, because when we are chewing well, we are more apt to notice when we are full.
• Chewing can promote increased circulation, enhanced immunity, increased energy and endurance, as well as improve skin health and stabilize weight.
• Taking time with a meal, beginning with chewing, allows for enjoyment of the whole experience of eating: the smells, flavors and textures. It helps us to give thanks, to show appreciation for the abundance in our lives and to develop patience and self-control.

Try eating without the TV, computer, ipod, newspaper or noisy company. Instead just pay attention to the food and to how you are breathing and chewing.

This kind of quiet can be disconcerting at first, since we are used to a steady stream of advertising, news, media, email and demands from others. But as you create a new habit, you will begin to appreciate eating without rushing. You have to eat every day - why not learn to savor and enjoy it?

One day at a time. One change at a time. Just remember... small changes yield lasting results.

Assignment for today: Chew your food!