Chewing our food for the HEALTH of it.....

Have you ever thought about how you chew your food? As most know, I have been taking classes and working on a health and life coach certification and am fascinated by a few facts that I had actually never thought about. Chewing was one of them. Now, I did flunk the test on how eat my food slowly. The ultimate time is taking at least 20 minutes. I was asked to time a meal and it took less than four minutes! Yes, I would say, I needed some work here. But chewing was worse! I believe I tend to gulp most time. Most people take around 3 chews before swallowing. There are many health benefits in not only taking your time to relax and slowly enjoy your food but to chewing it well is key. We start the digestive process while chewing. So, it makes sense to not only eat slower but to chew our food well. Once I started thinking about chewing, I found myself watch others eat while being at the airport. There are many individuals that do take their time and eat…but many many more who devour it! While waiting for the plane, I decided to do a little more research on chewing which I became even more convinced that this is a bigger health benefit than I thought. So, here I am writing on my blog to share.

According to healthline, when we chew our food, it gets broken down into smaller pieces which are easier to digest. When mixed with saliva, chewing allows your body to extract the greatest possible amount of nutrients from the food we are eating. Did you get that? This was why I was fascinated with fully understanding the importance of chewing and how it not only aids in our digestion, but it is more nutritious for us.

Experts say we should chew at least 32 times before swallowing. That seems extreme, especially if you are taking small bites. Now, if you cut off a piece of steak that is slightly large, then by all means chew, chew, chew. However, I don’t think I want to be sitting at the table counting my chews. In the article, they do say that some things break down quick and only require a few chews such as watermelon, but they recommend no fewer than ten chews.

Here is how it works:

Chewing and saliva break down and mix food together in your mouth, from there, the food goes into your esophagus when you swallow. Your esophagus pushes the food into your stomach. Your stomach holds the food while it mixes with enzymes that continue the breaking down of the food so it can be used for energy. When food is digested enough in your stomach, it moves into your small intestine where it mixes with more enzymes that continue the breakdown. Nutrients are absorbed by the small intestine. Waste is sent to the large intestine, which is known as our colon. And, we do not need further guide to know what happens next LOL.

When we do not chew well, or take too big of bites and not take the time to properly chew, it can have a negative effect on our health. First, it can cause digestive problems and we know how many of us have some sort of digestive issues. Chewing can also prevent chocking, dehydration, and will aid us in eating much slower. Wo Hoo! I need help with this. There have been many studies to show that when we eat slower, we tend to eat less. That puts in all in perspective! We need to chew our food!

Hope you enjoy! Chew your food, no less than 10 times!!! Let’s do this.