What do you do when you eat? Listen to a podcast, watch the news, talk on the phone with your sister, work, drive your car, walk around the house putting your kid’s stuff away in between bites?
Notice, I didn’t say chew.
Of course you chew because it’s hard to swallow whole food, but the average person chews like… 3 times per bite.
You should be chewing 30-50 times per bite, ideally until the food turns to liquid in your mouth. (Say WHAT?!)
It’s ok. Nobody really chews because our minds are always on other seemingly more important things. And we love to multitask.
Chewing is important because the enzymes in your saliva carry the food’s nutrients to the specific places in your body they need to go. The less you chew, the less saliva you produce.
The more you chew, the less your stomach has to work to break down your food. The less your stomach has to work, the more energy you save.
The more you chew, the better your digestion. This helps you not gain weight, not experience brain fog, and not feel lethargic after eating. This is one way to avoid the dreaded afternoon slump.
In short, the more you chew, the healthier you are.
My chewing awareness journey began in 2019 and I’m still not perfect. That’s not to make you think it’s an impossible feat- it’s to assure you we’re all just human and easily forget things.
So how can you set yourself up for success? How can you begin to gain this awareness so that you create a habit that gives you excellent digestion and nutrient assimilation?
Step 1: The next time you eat (or, go grab a bite of something right now) count how many times you chew. Don’t try to chew extra- we just want an honest benchmark of where you currently are.
Step 2: The next time you eat, add 5 chews to your baseline number. Or just go for it and chew as much as you can.
So how do you even remember to do this? Sticky notes at your dining room table (or desk). Phone reminders. Write it on your hand. Whatever you think would work for you.