Am I the only one whose Mother told her to chew her food? If I am, I envy your childhood. Now my husband has replaced my mother and teases me about my natural tendency to inhale my food. It is like I am afraid someone is going to take my tacos away from me. And I’ll be damned if someone gets their hands on my tacos!
Unfortunately, my Mom and husband are right #onceinalifetime. The very first step to digestion? Chewing your food! So, yes, all that nagging is worthwhile.
The breaking down of food through mastication and saliva makes sure that our food is small enough be digested by the acids in our stomachs and then run through our intestines. The larger the food that reaches our stomachs and intestinal tract, the harder it is on our system to break it down and use as energy or get out of our bodies entirely.
The rule I was told when I was a kid was 28 chews per bite. My big dude is the best chewer I have ever met. And it is really annoying. I am always waiting around for him to finish his food. But! He has one of the best digestive systems I have ever encountered.
The other rule of thumb I have read is that you should chew your food until it is liquified. I can’t quite bring myself to do this…
Another positive of taking the time to chew your food instead of inhaling it? You can taste it! You can savour it! And you tend to eat less because you are mindful of what is going into your body. Your brain has time to register that you are full.
If you find that you have digestive issues, whether that is gas, bloating, constipation, etc after you eat, at your next meal, really slow down and chew your food. Really savour every bite. Start the digestive process early and see how you feel.
Happy Chewing!