Last week I went to meditation retreat camp for 11 days, in the place we only allowed to have proper mean during lunch. (Breakfast and dinner was just fruit juice or fruit)
Some of you may think that, that’s not the big deal, just eat more during lunch to cover dinner portion. That wasn’t the case, because even I ate twice of what I usually eat during lunch time, I still feel hungry during dinner time. (The crunching feeling of stomach always comes on time; you can try this out for yourself). Moreover, I felt so tired and sleepy in the afternoon.
I found the way out.
It’s not about what I eat, or how much I eat. It’s more about how I eat. The secret is in sliver and teeth.
The tip is chew very finely; chew more than you usually do. How much more? Total about 50 times per mouthful.
Why? Because sliver in your month is an enzyme that break down flour molecule to sugar and mouth produce this type of enzyme much more than stomach do.
The second reason is when the food got broken down to very fine, very small pieces. As a result, the contact surface area is increased tremendously and allow enzyme in stomach to work at higher efficiency. Do you know that 40% of your body energy went away with digestion system? With this fined food, your body uses less energy to digest them.
What’s the result? I can survive with one meal a day (less than 30 mouthful of food) not hungry at all; no feeling tired in the afternoon, feeling light and relaxes.
I later found that some of Buddhist Monk also practices this because they have to abstain from eating after 12noon time.
July 31st, 2006 at 3:16 pm
Wow, thanks for sharing this little secret Uncle Pai Boon. I feel it is very useful for urbanites, not because they have little to eat, but because very often they are going for very quick rush lunches that means a “quick bite” that little or no attention has been paid to the chewing. In fact, the lesser they chew, the faster they can swallow down the food, and hence the shorter time they take to finish a meal. Thereafter, they can proceed with their other seemingly more important activities like rushing to finish their work, the next meeting / appointment, even shopping!
July 31st, 2006 at 3:33 pm
I think Paiboon means saliva
August 1st, 2006 at 1:02 am
I think he means “meal” too. We are all of little flaws here and there, doesn’t stop us from understanding him or loving that man.
August 3rd, 2006 at 12:58 am
Vipassana rocks ! Y didn’t you tell them about it, Paiboon ?
August 4th, 2006 at 3:14 pm
Yes, I mean saliva and meal
Thanks for the comment 
My first week as a monk, many thing to share. hang on a while more.
August 4th, 2006 at 4:09 pm
Paiboon! You got online! How have you been? So curious about your monk experience…you are missed, my friend