As promised, in my last blog, I'm going to share some ways in which properly chewing your food can significantly impact your health. You probably haven't spent much time thinking about how long you spend chewing each day, but perhaps you should. A study has found that the average chewing time per day has fallen to just 39 minutes. We eat breakfast in 7 minutes, lunch in less than 13 minutes, and dinner in 19 minutes.
Eating has become less about enjoying food and companionship, and more about shoveling down our food as quickly as possible. In addition, most of today's food is processed, and packaged, into small enough pieces that we aren't required to spend as much time chewing on food as we used to. You might be asking, "What's the big deal about chewing? It all breaks down eventually anyway, right?". My answer to you is - No, not really. Yes, food will pass through us eventually, in one form or another, but between the mouth and the anus there is an important digestive process that, when functioning optimally, contributes to good health and well-being. Chewing serves as the first step in that process. Energy is what fuels and sustains us. Absorption of nutrients, from the food we eat, provides that energy. When we don't properly chew, creating fragments that are too big to be broken down, nutrients do not get extracted and we starve our cells of the fuel needed to function. Saliva is an important part of chewing. It lubricates and liquefies food, helping it to pass more easily through the esophagus. If you’ve ever swallowed a chunk of food that you hadn’t chewed long enough, you know the pain that can result. Saliva also creates a number of enzymes that contribute to the chemical process of digestion. These enzymes help to break down carbohydrates and fats. Saliva contains yet another enzyme that attacks bacteria and destroys their cell walls. Undigested food can become a breeding ground for bacteria in the colon, which can lead to bacterial overgrowth, flatulence, and other symptoms of indigestion. Because these food particles are so big, they don’t breakdown but start to decompose. This results in bacteria and fungi introduced to the bloodstream and digestive tract. The more time you chew, the more of these bacteria will be killed before they reach your stomach. The act of chewing also sends an immediate signal to the digestive system, alerting the pancreas to secrete digestive enzymes, and the stomach lining to create hydrochloric acid, in preparation for absorption and breakdown. Chewing longer means more stomach acid, more acid, and better overall digestion. Chewing can help you maintain a healthy weight, and even lose weight. Research has shown that the longer you chew, the more time it will take you to finish a meal. Eating more slowly reduces levels of the hunger hormone, Grehlin. It also increases feelings of satiety and reduces your appetite. As I mentioned in my last post, it takes 20 minutes for your brain to get the message, from your stomach, that you're full. When you eat more slowly, you allow your brain to receive that message before you have "mindlessly" stuffed yourself past the point of fullness. You will probably enjoy your food more when you spend more time chewing. When you rush through a meal, without chewing, you are not really tasting your food. When you take time to properly chew your food it allows you to savor each morsel and thoroughly enjoy all the flavors within. There are many different opinions regarding exactly how many times we should chew each morsel of food, but I’d rather you didn’t get all caught up in the counting. I feel this will only take away from enjoying your food to the fullest. Chewing will obviously vary depending on its type and texture. I’d like to suggest just chewing your food until it is small enough, and dissolved enough, to be easily swallowed. Before you swallow, run your tongue over the food in your mouth. If you can still tell what is – keep chewing. The way you chew will be unique to only you. If it’s something you’ve never practiced before, you’ll likely need to make a conscious effort to change. But, with time and practice, it will become second nature to you. Below are a few more helpful hints to help you get started.
Take smaller bites of food to begin with (it’s easier to chew smaller morsels)
Chew slowly and steadily
In between each mouthful, put down your utensil (or your hands, if it's finger food)
Chew until your mouthful of food is liquefied or lost all of its texture
Finish chewing and swallowing completely before taking another bite of food
Wait to drink fluids until you’ve swallowed
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