Chewing is a very important part of digestion and yet is usually overlooked. Besides greatly impacting the digestion process, chewing is essentially the start of digestion. Taking time to chew your food 23 times can eradicate most of the complications linked to digestion. These problems include heartburn, gas and bloating. Furthermore, eating food hurriedly can lead to overeating, which then results in weight gain.
It does not really take much effort and time to chew food 23 times. The result of doing this action is worth it as it provides more pleasure in eating and also improves health. Here are the major advantages of chewing food 23 times.
1. Prepares food for digestion
When you chew food, it is broken down into small pieces in order for the digestive system to properly process it. Furthermore, the salivary glands are also activated to produce essential digestive juices called saliva. This saliva effectively mixes with food and alters its texture to a soft and moist ball called a bolus. After the bolus has been smoothened by saliva, it can be easily swallowed.
2. Slows down eating
The simple act of chewing food several times will assist to keep your digestive tract in great health. Through keeping food in the mouth for a longer period, you are basically giving your body enough time to get signals from taste buds so as to make the body ready for digestion. Hence, chewing ensures that the body releases all the necessary enzymes, gastric juices and hormones that are required for healthy digestion.
3. Prevents digestion complications
Swallowing food quickly generally leads to transferring badly chewed foodstuffs into the stomach. These less workable and large food pieces cannot pass smoothly through the digestive system. In fact, they can sit much longer in the large intestine or stomach, rotting there first before passing through eventually. This can be felt as indigestion, gas, bloating or heartburn. Chewing food 23 times can help prevent such problems.
4. Helps weight loss
An effective method of maintaining an optimal body weight or promoting weight loss is by simply chewing food 20 times or more. The longer time you take to chew food, the increased amount of time that the digestive system acknowledges its presence and then sends signals to the brain that you are full. This means you ought to take small bites of food, set down the spoon and then chew every bite 23 times. Moreover, you can also extend the time between each bite through sipping water.
The only way of getting the aforementioned benefits is through chewing food 23 times. Make sure that you have chewed your meal till it is so small that you can easily swallow it. Food will start to taste much better than before since more concentration and focus is placed on the act and process of eating. The advantages of chewing food thoroughly extend far beyond improving digestion. Many people have found that they now enjoy their meals more as they are now eating slowly and savoring each bite.