Chew Chew

More Energy

Digestion requires a great deal of energy. When we don’t chew our food properly it then takes more of our energy to break the food down. Then we have even less energy left over with which to enjoy ourselves. The more we break up our food by chewing, the easier it is to digest. Best of all is if we completely liquefy it to a consistency of applesauce before we swallow. After all, there are no teeth in our tummies. Chewing properly allows your stomach to work more efficiently and break down your food faster for more energy.

When we take the time to chew more we get energy faster. Who would have guessed?

Absorb More Nutrients

The smaller the food particles are, the easier it is for your intestines to absorb nutrients from the food particles as they pass through.

This also prevents improperly digested food from entering your blood and causing a wide range of adverse effects to your health, because undigested food in your intestines can ferment and turn toxic. 90% of food allergies stem from this.

The toxic byproducts that accumulate in your intestines will be absorbed through your intestinal wall and will end up in your bloodstream. This is how autoimmune conditions develop. When these toxins enter your bloodstream they will come into contact with all the cells throughout your entire body. When this occurs, all kinds of nasty things like cancer, for example, can and do develop.

When larger unchewed particles pass through the body, they provide opportunistic bacteria and fungi with a source of fuel during their transit so they can multiply more rapidly. No point in feeding germs!

“Particle size [affects the] bioaccessibility of the energy of the food that is being consumed. The more you chew, the less is lost and more is retained in the body.”

-Dr. Richard Mattes, Purdue University professor

Excess Bacteria in Your Intestines

It’s not a good idea to let large particles of improperly chewed food enter your stomach because you don’t want it to remain undigested when it enters your intestines.

That is because bacteria in your intestines will begin to break it down causing it to start to putrefy. This can lead to gas and bloating, diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain, cramping and other digestive problems. Uh oh.

The More Saliva, the Better

Old Taoist saying: Drink your Food and Chew your Water

Saliva contains digestive enzymes, including amylase which breaks down carbs. We give these enzymes more time to break down our food, the longer we chew. This makes digestion easier on your stomach and small intestine. For example, another one of these enzymes is lingual lipase, an enzyme that helps break down fats. Carbs, proteins, etc, are all broken down by different enzymes.

It is better to eat food that has it’s own enzymes to be released by chewing, rather than use up our own body’s supply of enzymes. That is because our bodies use our own enzymes to keep us healthy and full of vitality. They are responsible for all metabolic functions. They are responsible for life itself. Unfortunately, cooking food destroys its enzymes.

Saliva also lubricates your food so it’s easier on your esophagus and certainly not so scratchy.

Also, chewing signals the liver to prepare to digest the nutrients in the food we eat. Albumin is created in the liver.

Albumin is the major super-transporter in the body. Albumin is a high-density lipoprotein, a stress-relieving super protein carrier. It is like a little protein boat that is necessary for carrying nutrients into the body.

“Each gram of albumin contains about 3 million trillion molecules that transport nutrients and waste to purify and respire brain tissues and act as a rich cache of amino acids in protein synthesis” – Secrets of an Alkaline Body, The New Science of Colloidal Biology, Annie Padden Jubb and David Jubb, PhD. P. 171.

Having too much debris (acids) such as undigested protein and excess antibodies and white blood cells (infection fighters needed when your system is toxic) does not leave room for proper levels of albumin. “High levels of albumin in the blood indicate a robust immune system and a good constitution.” – Secrets of an Alkaline Body, p.171

When we don’t get the nutrients we need from the food we eat we are hungry all the time.

Healthy Weight

It takes about 20 minutes for your brain to signal to your stomach that you’re full. People feel fuller when they eat slowly. They consume about 10 percent fewer calories when they eat at a slow pace, especially if they chew more, Chewing our food at least twice as long as we normally would will instantly help control our portion sizes. This naturally decreases calorie consumption.

Leaving large chunks of undigested food in the system also triggers cortisol release which causes fat storage in the abdomen.

When we eat for pleasure, we savor the food longer when we eat more slowly. I used to watch my dog wolf her food down and wondered if she ever tasted anything at all.

Good for Your Teeth

The saliva produced while chewing also helps to clear food particles from your mouth and wash away bacteria. This will contribute to less plaque buildup and tooth decay.

Enjoy Your Food

To really enjoy all the flavors your food has to offer, it is best to slow down and savor each morsel.

Since it is easier to chew smaller morsels, it is best to eat smaller bites of food.

Then chew until your mouthful of food has lost all of its texture and become liquefied. Because you don’t need to wash it down with water, you don’t end up diluting the digestive juices in your stomach.

Finish chewing and completely swallow your food, which is now liquefied. Then take another chunky bite of food and savor that one. I have noticed that whole fresh foods taste better the longer you chew them and that highly refined processed foods taste worse the longer I chew them. Stands to reason if they are empty starches full of chemicals.

It is actually better to drink fluids between meals since you don’t need them when you chew well anyway.

Linda's House of Healthy Choices