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When it comes to supporting your gut health and overall wellness, your daily diet has an important impact.
If you’ve read MaryRuth’s Art of Health for Busy People or her book, Liquids Till Lunch: 12 Small Habits That Will Change Your Life For Good, you may be aware of some simple, everyday tips you can implement for your health.
Today, we are going to focus on four of MaryRuth’s actions straight from her best-selling book. These actions can help you practice mindful eating and being aware of your body so that you can have healthy digestion and feel great!
MaryRuth has been practicing and teaching Liquids till Lunch ever since she had her own clients in New York City when she first began working as a certified health educator and nutritional consultant many years ago.
In fact, this action was the catalyst for MaryRuth to create her first-ever liquid multivitamin, which is now used by thousands of people each day!
The basis of Liquids till Lunch is simply this: consume only liquids until lunchtime (water, coffee, green juice, vegetable broth, tea, etc.), and then eat solid foods between noon and 8 pm. She recommends eating three small meals a day at anchor times of noon, 3 pm, and 7 pm. Of course, you can always edit these times to best fit into your schedule and lifestyle.
“The beauty of Liquids till Lunch is that liquids are so much more absorbable than solids. They seep right into your cells, giving them all the good stuff that helps you function,” MaryRuth says.
Not only do liquids fill you up and help stop food cravings, but they also give your digestive system a break so it can focus on other things it does for your body.
Consume only liquids until your first anchor meal
Aim for 3 anchor meal times around 3-4 hours apart (such as noon, 3 pm & 7pm)
Do you know when the process of digestion actually begins?
Contrary to what many may believe, it’s not when the food hits your stomach, but actually much sooner.
Digestion really starts when you bite into a piece of food and the process of chewing your food, known as mastication, begins. Enzymes in your saliva get to work and start to break down macronutrients.
MaryRuth notes that “as you master the rate at which you chew, you start to notice what your body really needs.”
Chewing your food as much as you can doesn’t only help your digestive system, but it also helps you to be more mindful so you can truly taste and enjoy all of the elements of your meal.
Cut your food into smaller pieces
Eat only at a table so you can focus more on your food & chewing
Try chopsticks — they may help you eat more slowly
Chew each bite 32 times (there is no magic number here — but try to chew your food until it’s liquid as often as you can and remember to be patient)
You’ve probably heard about portion control before, and that’s great — that’s why these tips are supposed to be simple, free, and doable!
Portion control does not necessarily mean eating less.
As MaryRuth says, “Portion control is a feeling and a way of conducting yourself. It’s an understanding of your body’s digestive needs and a sense of when you’re full. It’s the realization that you have power over your food, rather than the reverse.”
By trying to be in tune with your body, you will help out your digestive system.
“Eating should be a joyful, positive experience. . .[and] portion control will give you your power back.”
If you feel famished, you’re not in a place to make health decisions to move in a positive direction. Try to stick to your anchor eating times so that you do not get excessively hungry.
Excessive hunger may drive you to overeat or snack too much, which probably won’t make you feel great.
Some health educators like to give hard and fast rules when it comes to diet — eat this, don’t eat that. MaryRuth likes to take a different approach.
Instead of seeing foods as “good” or “bad,” or giving strict advice, she believes that eating healthier really comes down to time management.
“When you take control of your time and your kitchen, you position yourself in a positive structure that moves you — and your diet — forward with momentum. Eating as healthfully as possible may look different for every person, but the ways to make those choices are simple and universal,” says MaryRuth.
Have the foods that make you happy, remember portion control, and try to make overall healthy decisions for yourself by being organized and planning ahead.
Time block when to have your meals & when you need to
Keep a daily running inventory of your kitchen and add to your grocery list on a regular basis
Create a weekly meal plan
Shop the perimeter of the grocery store (especially the produce aisle) and try to choose packaged products with as few ingredients as possible
Remember, structure creates freedom!
Incorporating a probiotic into your routine may support your gut health, digestion, immune system, and occasional gas and bloating!
It’s important to have some gut-healthy foods in your diet, but it may not be a bad idea to supplement probiotics in your diet, too.
Learn more about all of the above actions and dive deeper into the reasoning behind each of MaryRuth’s 12 habits with her book, Liquids Till Lunch!
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