The Science behind eating with our Hands
Have you wondered why our ancestors ate food using their hands?
Was it out of sheer necessity and practicality, since there were no sophisticated utensils we have today? Or something else entirely?
Even today, with modern tools and utensils at our disposal, eating with hands is a common practice in many cultures around the world. Let’s dig a bit deeper into this fascinating topic, shall we? The first place I turn to, of course, is Ayurveda.
According to Ayurveda, eating with our hands is believed to offer several benefits:
Improved Digestion: Tactile sensation occurs when we touch food with our hands. This stimulates the nerve endings, which send signals to our brain about the temperature and texture of the food. Our body reacts by releasing saliva and digestive enzymes to appropriately breakdown the food.
Hygiene and Safety: Eating with hands allowed our ancestors to physically inspect food for safely and foreign objects before it entered their mouth, reducing the risk of consuming spoiled or contaminated food. I can think of seveAral instances when I have used a spoon to eat blueberries, and realized a bit too late that they had gone bad. Looking back, if I had used my hands, I would have noticed the texture and avoided eating the spoiled blueberries to begin with (soft and mushy blueberries, no thank you)!
Balanced Doshas: Ayurveda associates different fingers with specific elements and doshas (Vata/Pitta/Kapha). Using our hands to eat is thought to help balance the doshas.
Mindful Eating and Portion Control: Eating with hands promotes slow and mindful eating, which can naturally regulate portion sizes as we become more intune with our body’s hunger cures, which helps prevent overeating.
Cultural and Social: A sense of connection, community, and tradition are associated with eating with our hands. This social norm of eating together and eating with hands can be tied to strengthened bonds within early human communities.
With science at its core, safety and hygienic benefits make eating with bare hands a no brainer!
Of course eating with our hands may not always be possible when we are in a corporate setting or other social events. But whenever possible, lets try to incorporate this ancient wisdom into our daily eating habits!
