I think we can all agree that eating well is important to our health. Extremely important. But sometimes just as important as what you eat, is how you eat. Most of us don't put a lot of thought into it, we just get the food in our body and move on. However a lot of digestive complaints, and subsequent health issues, stem from improper digestion caused by the way we eat. 

Our bodies do a lot of work when we consume food. They release hormones, secrete enzymes, move muscles, and communicate to other cells to digest the food, assimilate nutrients, and store energy from our meal. All of this happens without any conscious participation from us. This happens thanks to the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS). The ANS has three branches, enteric, sympathetic, and parasympathetic. We won't get into the enteric nervous system now, but its also really important for digestion.