Eating Beyond The Belch
The body has infinite wisdom. Without being consciously aware of it, we are told when to breathe, swallow, blink, go to sleep, and eat. It is through the complex functioning of the autonomic nervous system that we are signaled to perform these life-sustaining activities. If we would only listen! While its reflexive to blink when our eyes need lubrication or protection, and to swallow when food traverses the esophagus, it is so much harder to put yourself to bed when your body signals exhaustion or push the plate away when your body signals fullness.
We have lost the ability to interpret our body’s messages. We used to hear those messages but ignored them so many times that we are no longer able to. Perhaps the most poignant example is eating beyond the belch. At some point during your meal, you are going to experience a little burp, hiccup or belch that signals that you are done; you have eaten an adequate amount of food for your survival. Anything eaten beyond that will be stored as fat, plain and simple.
I have been aware of the belch for a long time but failed to recognize its significance. Now that I am “tuned in,” I notice it comes close to where the end of the meal probably should be, usually before a second helping and surely before dessert! Most of the time, I heed the signal and push my plate away despite the bit of remaining food. Once in a great while, I consciously choose to eat beyond the burp because what I am eating is extraordinarily delicious. I decide to enjoy the taste sensation I am experiencing, often regretting it later in the form of heartburn, indigestion or gas. But at least it’s been a conscious decision.
Most of us tend to be unconscious eaters. We eat for all the wrong reasons: boredom, frustration, anxiety, depression or whatever. Perhaps we can’t solve all the eating issues today, but today we can start to become a little more aware of, and in tune with, our bodies. We can make a decision to stop, put the fork down, wipe our mouths and try to feel satisfied. Or…we can consistently eat beyond the belch and continue to carry that extra weight, farting as we go.
