Greek to me Posted November 10, 2013 Share Posted November 10, 2013 I'm curious to know if any of you have struggled with the desire to be chewing something and what you've done as an alternative to this. I find that mid day, I want something. Not hungry and not specifically craving sugar. I just want to chew something. I've historically always preferred 'chewy' things like gum, dried fruit or treats that would be chewy...i.e. caramel, licorice vs. hard crunchy things so crunching on vegetables is not an alternative. In fact, I hate crunching. I'd never make it with the "Raw" movement. I need to replace this desire with something else to make this stick. Any suggestions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amberino21 Posted November 10, 2013 Share Posted November 10, 2013 Chewing when you aren't planning on eating isn't that good for your digestive system - my take on it is that chewing signals to your body that food is coming, so your stomach prepares by producing digestive enzymes etc. As we get older, our digestive system becomes less efficient...Overstimulating your stomach by chewing unnecessarily will mean that it's working more than it needs to and becomes weaker earlier... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greek to me Posted November 10, 2013 Author Share Posted November 10, 2013 Thanks Amber...but most the time I am chewing.....something. Now, I'm focusing on not having things in my mouth unless I'm "hungry enough for broccoli and fish". But the urge is strong...very strong. Even now, just having eaten dinner, I "want something" to chew on. I honestly believe it's a matter of retraining my brain. I've given into that urge for so long that my body expects it. So, now I'm retraining. What I need is ideas that will provide equal satisfaction and retrain, rather than obsess on what I can't have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amberino21 Posted November 10, 2013 Share Posted November 10, 2013 Surely retraining would involve refraining from doing the thing you're trying to stop? Providing a compliant alternative is only going to keep you doing it! Take up crosswords/puzzles and chew your pencil? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greek to me Posted November 10, 2013 Author Share Posted November 10, 2013 Love the idea. Well maybe not the eraser chewing. But yes, this is exactly what I'm going for. Filling in the blanks that have suddenly become painfully noteworthy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jillian Posted November 12, 2013 Share Posted November 12, 2013 you could use toothpicks to clean your teeth, stimulate your gums - with a little chewing as a part of that routine. Minty or cinnamon toothpicks are nice: http://www.amazon.com/Thursday-Plantation-Original-Australian-Toothpicks/dp/B00GB13WAC/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1384266639&sr=8-5&keywords=australian+toothpicks+cinnamon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greek to me Posted November 12, 2013 Author Share Posted November 12, 2013 I'm laughing at this. My grandfather used to chew on toothpicks all day. We used to laugh at him. Lesson learned-never laugh at anyone lest you become like them. Thanks! I like the idea! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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