Good health begins with digestion. Good digestion begins with chewing.
Last night I was having dinner with my son who had just come home from his football training, feeling very hungry. And, quite typically of teenagers who are always in a hurry, he was literally gulping down his food, barely taking time to chew.
In the past few months he has been dealing with a few health issues such as food allergies and digestive problems and this was an important observation and clue into what might be going on in his body.
The importance of chewing food properly is often ignored, and not only by 16-year old teenagers. I suspect that my chewing tips went into his one ear and out of the other but it did prompt me to write a post on the subject for all of you lovely people. Once you to start paying attention to the act of chewing you will see that something we tend to take for granted can significantly influence your health and wellbeing.
Why do we chew our food?
Chewing is the important first step in the digestive process that initiates the break-down of our food so that we can absorb its nutrients effectively further down the line.
The mechanical action of compressing food with our teeth and tongue reduces the particle size of our food, helps to expel air and increases the surface area.
As we chew, food is mixed with saliva, which contains enzymes that begin the process of breaking it down.
Enzymes in our saliva also signal hormones, other enzymes and gastric juices to begin the process of digestion further down the digestive tract.
Saliva contains softening agents that allow food to be molded into a ball (also known as a “bolus”) so that it can glide down comfortably down the esophagus.
The benefits of a good chewing practice
There are a lot of important benefits to chewing properly but here is something that might help put it in perspective:
Digestion is a big stressor on your body. And it occurs at least 3 times a day, every day. The longer you chew your food, the easier digestion is for the rest of your body. By freeing up some of the energy of the digestive process you will have more energy available for other things!
Here is what good chewing practice can help to:
1. Eliminate bloating, gas, and abdominal pain. Yes, the simple act of properly chewing your food can help to reduce these common digestive symptoms, provided of course that nothing else is going on.
2. Release hydrochloric acid in the stomach, which is critical for digestion. Symptoms such as heartburn, GERD are actually caused by low stomach acid rather than excess. There are various possible reasons for low stomach acid but it can certainly be helpful to stimulate the production of HCL by chewing properly.
3. Lose weight. By slowing down during a meal you increase satiety with less food. You avoid overeating in this way too by giving the brain enough time to receive the signals that the stomach is full.
4. Appreciate your food. I invite you to try the following experiment: take a piece of dark chocolate and quickly chew and swallow it. Now take another piece of chocolate (lovely experiment isn’t it?!) and allow it to slowly melt in your mouth, while you savor the taste and creamy texture. That’s how you should savor all your meals.
How to improve your chewing habits
To get into the habit of chewing properly you can make a conscious effort to chew each bite of your food until it is fully liquidized in your mouth. At first this will feel a bit unnatural but it will soon become a healthy habit for life.
