Ready set…. Swallow

How to swallow tablets without fear

One of the challenges I hear when speaking with my clients is their dislike of  supplements as they find it hard to swallow tablets and capsules. This can pose a problem to their Naturopathic treatment as some of the supplements my clients need only come in tablet or capsule form. Mostly everyone is ok about swallowing tablets and capsules but there are many people who really struggle. Perhaps you know someone like this? 

I hear all sorts of stories. Some clients tell me at the beginning of their session that they won’t take tablets as they just can’t swallow them. They feel that the “horse pills” are way too big and they couldn’t possibly swallow them. Others have to drink bucket loads of water per tablet and then find themselves swimming with a belly full of water not wanting to eat their breakfast as they are just too full. However, there are some clients who can easily place a handful of tablets in their hand and swallow them all in one mouthful. So what’s the difference between these folks?

Well, it’s a combination of belief and technique. 

Let me ask you…when was the last time you bit into an apple or cut a piece of meat and popped it into your mouth or bit into a sandwich and ate it? Chances are that it was somewhere between just a minute ago or a few hours ago. Did you have any trouble swallowing it? Probably not. We know that the average human has learnt to chew and swallow after 6 months of age so we can confidently say we are pretty good at it. So why can’t people swallow a tablet that is actually smaller than the piece of meat or apple they just bit off. 

The difference is that we CHEW your food and we generally don’t chew a tablet. So somewhere between not chewing and swallowing there is a believe of

“If I don’t chew the tablet, I can’t swallow it as it’s too big, therefore I’m going to choke on the tablet”. 

Due to the fact that we don’t want to choke we surrender to not being able to swallow tablets. Since this is mostly happening subconsciously and is driven by a fear of being harmed it prevents some people from doing something that will benefit them. In some people it is so strong that they simple will not attempt to try. So we need to change the belief to

“ I can swallow”.

The other component is poor technique. Most people place the tablet into their mouth, take a sip or glup of water and throw their heads back hoping that somehow the tablet will be thrown to the back of their throats and then they can swallow it. Then they drink a glass of water just to make sure it went down. Bad technique people…. 

Try this now…

Make some saliva in your mouth, look straight ahead and swallow. Easy huh? Now they this…make some saliva, tilt your head back, look at the roof and swallow. Much harder yes!! 

So the key to swallowing tablets is to keep your head straight and look ahead. No need to throw your head back as this makes swallowing really tough. Pop the tablet in your mouth, take a sip of water, keep looking straight ahead and swallow.

It is easy…you CAN do it, you have done it since you were born and you will not choke. 

Another tip is that you can sip your drink through a straw or use your water bottle and suck the water down. The momentum of the sucking will flow the tablet straight down your throat.

Some tablets are a bit dry so on the rare occasion can stick to a moist throat so you can always take a bite of your meal which will move the tablets into your stomach. 

So give it a go. There is nothing to fear! You are a master of swallowing but as with everything practice makes perfect so after the bottle of tablets you have to take thought the month you will be a pro!

Then you can try multiple tablets at once…baby steps! You can also teach this to the kids and grand kids. If you are cool about it so will they!

So remember keep your head straight, look directly ahead and ready, set, swallow.