Take the Time to Chew Your Food Well

The first bite always tastes the best. The pleasure we get from eating has a diminishing return as our stomachs begin to fill and our physical hunger is satisfied. Sometimes we keep eating, chasing the sense of pleasure we got from that first bite until we are uncomfortably full. Can we stop and remind ourselves that we can have more later when we are hungry again? Even if it’s a treat, you can have a bit more later when your body tells you it’s time for more fuel. You will enjoy it so much more and you will feel better about eating it.

Take the time to chew your food well. Most of us chew a bite of food ~5 times before swallowing. Research shows we should be chewing each bite 20-30 times for optimal digestion.

Chewing your food breaks it down and exposes it to enzymes in your saliva (digestion begins before we even swallow).

The act of chewing also signals the stomach to produce and release stomach acid.

Digestion really is a top down process. If you skimp on the chewing step, large particles of food will enter the stomach where there is inadequate stomach acid to break it down because the stomach didn’t get the message that food was on its way. If food is not adequately broken down by the time it reaches the small intestine, it can’t be absorbed appropriately and causes digestive discomfort as it moves along (gas, bloating etc)

Slow down and take the time to chew. You will get more enjoyment from your meal and you will feel better after!