I have to be honest before we had our children we often plopped down in front of the TV to eat our dinners and we never said the blessing before we ate and just mindlessly shoveled our food in.
Fast forward 6 years and now we bless our meals consistently and our children most often lead the way saying it for the family. Not only is blessing your food the best way to give thanks to God for the blessings He gives us but it is also the best way to prepare your body and more specifically your digestive system for the food you are about to eat.
See before you actually put a bite of food in your mouth your brain triggers enzymes to start to be released in your stomach and your stomach acids increase awaiting the food. Once the food is in your mouth your salivary glands make saliva which moistens food so it moves more freely through your esophagus. Then your esophagus pushes the food into your stomach. The stomach acids and enzymes break down your food to be absorbed by your body further down your digestive tract. If you do not have the proper enzymes or proper level of stomach acids the food will not be broken down properly and could lead to acid reflux, indigestion, upset stomach, diarrhea, cue the Pepto Bismo jingle now, you get the idea.
All of this digestive upset can be avoided if we take the time to properly bless our food, give thanks to our Creator and put ourselves is a parasympathetic state. Often referred to as the rest and digest state. I always encourage my clients to take this time to focus on gratitude. Be thankful for the meal, for the day and for the blessings that are awaiting us. So next time you eat, before you dig in,
take the time to gather your thoughts and as a family bless your meal and if you have children, like I do, I encourage you to ask them to name 3 things they are grateful for. Their answers help remind us of the simple things in life that as adults we so easily take for granted. Enjoy!