Chew, Chew, Chew

I often say this to little ones to make sure they are chewing and swallowing and not over-filling their mouths and possibly choking. As adults, we need to do the same. I am sorry to say, I put some blame on the school system for my tendency to eat fast as we only had a very short time to actually eat our lunch by the time we got through the lunch line and sat down.

Did you give any thought to chewing the last time you ate? I have to consciously remind myself to slow down and chew my food. One of the key components of mindful eating is chewing your food with awareness. Many of us tend to only chew a mere two or three times, but purposely chewing can have a significant impact on weight, health and enjoyment of a meal. Here are a few of the reasons not to mindlessly scarf down your meals.

Digestion actually starts in the mouth and chewing is an essential part of the process. The more you chew, the better your food will be processed and used by the body for fuel. Digestive enzymes called lingual lipase are also released in the mouth during chewing which start breaking down fats prior to entering the stomach. Saliva helps lubricate the food, making it easier on our esophagus as it travels from our mouth to the stomach. Bloating and GI symptoms can be reduced when food is properly broken down at this point in the digestive process as large particles of food that remains not completely broken down in the stomach are then broken down by bacteria in the intestines and begin to putrefy causing GI problems.

The better you chew, the more nutrients will be absorbed to nourish our body, aiding in effective digestion and metabolism. Chewing strengthens the bones holding our teeth, and the more saliva produced the more bacteria is washed away decreasing plaque and tooth decay as well.

When we consciously chew, we naturally slow down our eating and allow ourselves to be more aware of feelings of satiety and fullness. The better we chew our food the fuller we will feel and we will tend to eat less. We should try to chew between 15-30 times depending on the food. We should begin by taking smaller bites of our food and the food we are chewing should lose its texture and liquefy before swallowing. Always finish one bite before taking another as well.

Studies show that people only pay attention to the taste of the first bite of food then mindlessly gobble the rest. Since taste rules our food choices and preferences, doesn’t it make more sense to slow down and really enjoy the whole meal? How many of us have made the comment at holidays that it took all day to prepare the meal and five seconds to eat it. How much more enjoyment we would get if we actually tasted the food. I have told my pets to chew, not swallow whole without tasting or chewing their food. We need to make sure we do the same.

When we slow down to really chew and appreciate our food, meals do become more enjoyable. We will also find that our food tastes better as it is broken down and we tend to not eat as much.

Remember to drink plenty of fluids during the hot summer days and stay indoors with a fan on and curtains closed during the hottest part of the day.

Chautauqua County Office for the Aging Senior Nutrition Program provides nutritious noon meals at several congregate dining sites throughout the county along with a restaurant dining-out program. Dietitian Cheryl Walhstrom, RD, is available for nutrition counseling in your home at no cost. We also sponsor several exercise programs. Call the office for more details and information. Call NY Connects at 753-4582.