Has Chewing Become Obsolete?

 

Better health is not just about what we eat but also about how we eat. Digestion actually begins in the mouth. Contact with our teeth and digestive enzymes in our saliva breaks down food. But these days most of us rush through the whole eating experience. We barely acknowledge what we’re putting in our mouths. We eat while distracted, working, reading, talking on the phone, and watching television. We swallow our food practically whole, often chasing it down with water. On average we chew each bite only 6-7 times before gulping it down; it’s no wonder that most of us have digestive problems!

There are many great reasons to slow down and chew your food. First of all, how about pleasure? Saliva breaks down food into simple sugars, creating a sweet taste. The more we chew, the sweeter our food becomes, so we don’t crave those after-meal sweets. Chewing also reduces digestive distress and improves assimilation, allowing our bodies to absorb maximum nutrition from each bite of food. More chewing produces more endorphins, the brain chemicals responsible for creating good feelings. It’s also helpful for weight loss because when we are chewing well, we are more apt to notice when we are full. In fact, chewing can promote healing and circulation, enhance immunity, increase energy and endurance, improve skin health, eliminate GI disorders, and stabilize weight.
The power of chewing is so great that there are stories of concentration camp survivors who, when others could not, made it through with very little food by chewing their meager rations up to 300 times per bite of food. For most of us 300 chews is a daunting and unrealistic goal. However, you can experience the benefits of chewing by increasing to 20-30 chews per bite. Try it and see how you feel. Ideally, your food should be liquid when you swallow it (no water required!).

Take time with a meal, beginning with chewing. Allow yourself to enjoy the whole experience of eating: the smells, flavors and textures. It helps us to give thanks, to show appreciation for the abundance in our lives and to develop patience and self-control. Try eating without the TV, computer, newspaper or noisy company. Instead just pay attention to the food and to how you are breathing and chewing.

This kind of quiet can be disconcerting – or even downright uncomfortable – at first! We are so used to a steady stream of advertising, news, media, email and demands from others. But as you create a new habit, you will begin to appreciate eating without rushing. You have to eat every day, so why not learn to savor and enjoy it? This is eating on purpose at its best.

You deserve such pleasures! We all do.