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Do you chew your food?

Many people fail to chew, actually swallowing their food whole!

Are you in a rush? Are you starving and so excited to eat what’s in front of you? Are you sitting in front of a TV or computer and not paying attention?  There are so many reasons why people don’t chew their food. Chewing is just like breathing, in the way we don’t really ever think about it. What if I told you that chewing could actually change the way you feel about yourself? Here are some tips on chewing!

1. Did you know that even before you take your first bite your digestion has begun? Saliva is a huge part of digestion and when you don’t chew, you aren’t letting saliva do its job. Saliva contains digestive enzymes that help break down your food. The longer you chew the longer those enzymes get a chance to work.

2. Chewing breaks down your food into smaller pieces which allows your stomach and intestine do their job. If you don’t chew, you are asking your stomach and intestines to work overtime and break down solids. This is why you get bloated, gassy, and have stomach pains after meals.

3. Chewing can help you lose weight! The longer you chew the longer it will take you to finish a meal. They say it takes 20 mins for your brain to tell your stomach that you are full. By chewing your food, you will eat slower, eat smaller portions and eat fewer calories.

4. Chewing makes your food taste better! Half of the time you are just swallowing your food and not even tasting it. Slowing down allows you to enjoy and appreciate all the favors, smells and textures of your food. Maybe even closing your eyes!

5. Try to chew your food 20 times before you swallow.

Take this as an experiment. Try one meal, then one day, then one week. I bet you will really enjoy your food more and your body will be happy too!      Happy Chewing :)

Xoxo L