As I ate at my dinner table (a novel experience in itself), I tried to think of the last time I sat on my own, in silence, enjoying the taste and textures of my meal instead of inhaling my food over my laptop. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever done it. I counted my chews – just for the LOLs – and noticed I chewed my food at least 60 times before it was ready to be swallowed, which was truly revolutionary, considering I've lost count of how many times I’ve almost choked on a bite. “Our digestion begins before the food has reached the stomach and chewing is a big part of that,” says Magor. “Chewing stimulates the release of enzymes that help break down and digest our food, meaning you are less likely to suffer from bloating or digestive discomfort,” so it’s no surprise that during my week of mindful eating, not once did I reach for my post-meal Gaviscon.