I’ve always been a fan of the chunky salad or sauté. You know the kind, big bites of vegetables that employ your teeth and explode flavor onto the tongue while you work it down. Now I understand that this preference was my body asking me to keep the mouth, jaw, teeth and airways wide for optimal breath!
The science behind this is presented beautifully in James Nestor’s Breath. Studies show that working the masseter muscles for 1-3 hours a day will actually grow bone back in your face, providing structural support for your sinuses and throat, widen the pathways for your breath. Over time, this may also straighten your teeth and curb asthma or allergy attacks!
Stop Snoring and Improve Your Sleep
Many of us suffer from snoring or sleep apnea (where we are literally choking in our sleep!). Along with sleep tape–which is taping your lips closed at night so that you only breathe through your nose–I am working more space into my mouth by gnawing on big bites. I’ve been a soft snorer since childhood and now I realize it’s because my tongue is too big for my mouth and teeth. The teeth crowd when we eat soft foods (which is pretty much the modern diet!) and so have mine, leaving less room for my tongue which tips back into my throat when I’m sleeping. So in order to curb the snoring and add as much bone support to my face as I can, I’m making those chunky salads and meals with more fervor!
The masseter muscle is the strongest in the body! It along with the other muscles of the jaw and skull can inflict a force of 55 pounds on the incisors and 200 pounds on the molars. This human body was designed to tear off meat and chew it down along with gathered nuts, fruit, bark, etc! The muscle atrophies just like any other when we don’t give it the workout it was meant for.
Image from Jon Doulliard’s Life Spa.
Keep it Chunky!
So here’s what you can do: Keep it Chunky! Try not to constantly shred, chop finely or puree. Pay attention to the texture and tangibility of the food you put into your mouth. Eat whole and big as possible. Whole grains with the bran, germ, and endosperm still intact. Go for nuts vs. nut butters; fresh whole fruit or dried fruit vs. blended in a smoothie or juiced. Try pumpkin seeds with the shells still on; you’ll get more to chew as well as more fiber from the iron-rich seed. Go raw more often. Use as much of a fresh fruit or vegetable as you can–the stalks of broccoli or kale, for example. I’ve taken to adding bigger chunks of carrot and raw beets in my kale salads.It takes more muscle to get through, but it feels as satisfying as a that post-yoga-practice glow.
Mango “cheeks” will add more definition to yours! Try having big, hearty strips of dried fruit or meat on hand for a snack that you can take anywhere. Dried figs, apricots, and cranberries also make a nutritious dessert when your body wants something sweet and the fresh fruits aren’t yet in season.
Chew While At Work
You can also chew gum. I find that especially when I’m doing desk work, my jaw wants to move, probably to process the cerebral energy with more physical effort than my fingers on the keyboard or mouse. My favorite has been mastic gum, which is dried resin of the mastic tree from Greece. It’s the most all-natural gum I’ve found (without sugar or artificial sweeteners), comes in hardened “tears” and softens with chewing, but still gives the jaw a workout.
In short, as we experience EarthHeart Healing, we are tuning into the intelligent design of the Earth. We are finding balance between the ease of industrialization and the total health of the Earthly Organism that was made to breath deeper and feel better.
If you have any good “hard chewing” recipes, or you’ve found your breath and wellbeing improving from these tips, please let us know about it in the comments!
BONUS! Yoga/Meditation Tip
Try adding Jivha Bandha to your meditation or yoga practice. The placement of your tongue will help to extend the palette which adds to the benefits described above. To join us in a yoga class or Meditation & Breathwork sitting, please check out Liminal Yoga.
