3 FREE Ways to Improve Your Health & Eat Better
Some of the most impactful health habits are also the easiest to overlook. Before investing money in the latest wellness trend, consider these three free practices that can help you feel better, eat more mindfully, and support long-term health.
1. Chew Your Food
Chewing food thoroughly can support efficient digestion by initiating food breakdown and signaling the body to receive nutrients. Research shows that slow and intentional chewing increases feelings of fullness and reduces overeating. When we eat in a calm and relaxed state rather than rushing through a meal, the body receives the signal to “rest and digest”.
A practical way to implement this is by aiming for about 32 chews per bite.
2. Floss Daily
Sure, flossing may take an extra 1-2 minutes of your time… but the plaque you clean off your teeth directly reduces the plaques that settle in the arteries and heart. Peer reviewed studies support better long term cardiovascular outcomes in those who regularly floss their teeth.
Aim for 1-2 minutes of flossing before bed each night.
3. Eat in Quiet Presence
Eating is a time to slow down, be present, and enjoy a nutritious meal. Yet so many of us (guilty here!) often eat while working, scrolling, or watching TV. When we sit in quiet presence with our food, we leave space for gratitude, community, and hearing the body’s fullness cue that tells us we’re satisfied.
Eat slowly and quietly, without distraction. Try saying a small prayer of gratitude for your food before each meal.
consider these simple tips at your next meal… you CAN eat AND feel better.
Resources:Pedersen AM, Bardow A, Jensen SB, Nauntofte B. Saliva and gastrointestinal functions of taste, mastication, swallowing and digestion. Oral Dis. 2002;8(3):117-129. doi:10.1034/j.1601-0825.2002.02851.xFei J, Gong X. Association between dental floss use and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in American adults. Heart Lung. 2025;71:32-38. doi:10.1016/j.hrtlng.2025.02.003Grider HS, Douglas SM, Raynor HA. The Influence of Mindful Eating and/or Intuitive Eating Approaches on Dietary Intake: A Systematic Review. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2021;121(4):709-727.e1. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2020.10.019
