Chew chew chew chew

So we've all heard that you should chew every bite 100 times. But really? Thats ridiculous! 100 times? I don't have time for that. I only have 15 minutes to nourish before I have to get to my appointment/work/pedicure/meet a friend/homework/pick up the kids/yadda yadda yadda.

Well, I know we're all very busy, but sorry, it's true, chewing is very important, you should do it more. The process of digestion actually begins with the mechanical act of chewing as your teeth break down the food into smaller pieces. The longer the food is in your mouth the more lubricated it gets, helping it to move down the esophagus smoothly, and the longer enzymes in your saliva can also break down the food even further. The more of this process that's done in your mouth the easier it is on stomach and intestines.

When food isn't properly broken down the digestion process can't work efficiently to extract nutrients, plus this causes other problems like indigestion and flatulence. We don't want that do we?

Another reason to chew is that slowing down the process of eating will allow more time for you to smell, taste, and see your food, which will help send a signal to the digestive system to get properly into gear and digest at optimum efficiency. If you're trying to lose weight, slowing down the process of eating will also help you to feel full sooner, since it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to realize that your stomach is full (which, honestly is mind boggling, the brain is such a brilliant and complex machine, why is it so slow with this connection? I don't know, who am I to question my own divine intelligence?)

So, how much should you chew? Well, you really don't need to count. You just need to chew long enough that the food is definitely broken down into a pretty mushy consistency, you shouldn't be able to tell by the texture what you've just eaten by the time you actually swallow. It's not easy I know - this has been especially difficult for me since I've learned that the act of chewing stimulates mercury gas to be released from my dental fillings, which I then breathe in and pollute myself with, holistic dentist here I come!

Chew chew chew chew chew chew chew chew chew chew chew