Why I Use Chopsticks Sometimes

If you don’t already know - everything is bad for you, including the food you eat and the air you breathe.

But the good news is that there are an abundance of very simple things you can do increase your chances of living a longer and healthier life. And many of those things involve living a more intentional life.

One of the things I do to live more intentionally is using chopsticks.

See? Simple.

For as long as I can remember I’ve known what chopsticks are and their [general] historical context. But I didn’t start using them (to the point where I bought my own formal set) until a few years ago - and here’s why:

They Help Reduce Heavy Metal Intake

Because we take in heavy metals in almost every aspect of our lives - from certain medicines to cookware - and they have negative long term effects on our skin, lungs, stomach, kidneys, liver, and / or heart, it’s extremely beneficial to cut them out where we can. And (non-metal) reusable chopsticks allow you to do that.

This doesn’t have to be a permanent thing, but buy a set for your home and use them in place of metal / stainless steel utensils to use occasionally. And who knows, it may turn into a permanent life change.

To Enhance the Cultural Experience When Eating Certain Dishes

I LOVE pho! The traditional Vietnamese dish requires a large bowl, a large spoon, and in my professional pho-eating experience, chopsticks.

Even before I became obsessed with this dish, I would sometimes attempt to use my chopsticks instead of a fork when it was an option.

For some reason, a fork just doesn’t do this dish any justice. Maybe it’s because the rice noodles are so filling, that it’s better to eat them slower - I’m not sure, but I do know that I now have my own set of chopsticks at home (as well as my own Chinese soup spoons).

They Force You to Eat Slower

This is good for a few reasons, the main being that it allows you to be more mindful overall, which can lead to you feeling more satisfied with less food.

This is good if you’re trying to lose weight, or tend to overeat.

For me personally, it helps me not scarf my food down, which can lead to me feeling bloated and lazy when I’m finished with my meal.

Smaller bites also reduce the risk of choking when eating.

Coordination

Using chopsticks help develop and improve precision of movement, and overall coordination. This is especially helpful for developing children, people who have suffered from neurological trauma, or people like me who have never had great hand-eye coordination.