Guidelines for Proper Eating (Part 1)

In the previous section, we dealt with the issue of constipation, which, as is well known, concerns many people. Constipation greatly disrupts a person's lifestyle and causes significant sadness and stress. At the request of many, here I include several eating guidelines to prevent constipation and promote good health:

A. Chew the food: In conversations with many people I meet, the conclusion is that they actually swallow the food. It is important to remember that the stomach does not have teeth. Hashem gave us teeth so that we could chew the food, and in fact, the digestion process begins in the mouth. When we grind the food, we enable the stomach and other digestive organs to perform the digestion task more easily. Moreover, saliva contains different substances that start the digestion process right in the mouth. Therefore, it is necessary to chew patiently.

B. Chew the food slowly and calmly: Additionally, one should get used to eating slowly and calmly. Our pace of life is very fast. Today, quality is measured by speed. However, the truth is that this is not true in everything, certainly not concerning eating. There is a tendency to think that the digestion process is simple, we chew, swallow, and that's the end of it. But in fact, digestion is very complex, and it is important to eat slowly and calmly to allow the process to occur, otherwise, the food will not be digested and will begin to ferment, and decay processes may develop, which can lead to various allergies and infections.

C. Don't aim to feel full from the meal: Many people think that one should finish a meal feeling full. Rambam already wrote that this is not correct. According to Rambam: "A person should not eat until his stomach is full but should reduce consumption by about a quarter of his full capacity." Therefore, it is advisable for a person to rise from the table while still feeling slightly hungry, ensuring that what he eats will be digested and will not unnecessarily burden his digestive system.

With attention and awareness to these guidelines for proper eating, we can positively influence our health. Next week, we will mention additional guidelines to improve our ability to maximize the benefit from the food we eat.