How to Chew Your Food?

Rouse Hill Dentist says “to avoid overburdening your stomach, chewing of food is very essential”. Chewing your food properly can help in smooth digestion and nutrient absorption. It also reduces the negative symptoms of your body such as gas, bloating, and intestinal discomforts.

Regardless of our age, we generally fail to consider how chewing can lead to eating problems. Among these problems are, aspiration, in which foreign material enters the lower respiratory tract, or choking, in which a foreign body obstructs breathing. Over time, chewing and swallowing difficulties can lead to malnutrition, dehydration, constipation and increased urinary tract infections.

How Many Times Should You Chew Your Food?

The number of times you chew really depends on the type of food you consume.  Soft foods break down more easily than chicken or steak, so you need to make sure that you chew your food as thoroughly as possible. You should chew softer foods 5-10 times, and more dense foods (meats/vegetables) up to 30 times before swallowing.

When you chew each mouthful properly, you also release a lot of saliva, which contains digestive enzymes.  As you release these enzymes into the throat and stomach, you further improve the digestive process. Throughout the chewing process, the body undergoes several processes that trigger digestion.

How chewing is related to weight loss?

Eating slowly and chewing thoroughly can improve fitness and help you lose weight. When you eat slowly, you actually chew your food several times before swallowing it. This helps you to reduce calorie intake and lose weight.  However, slowing down can also improve your health and quality of life in other ways:

• Increase your enjoyment of food
• Improve digestion
• Help you absorb nutrients better
• Promote healthy teeth
• Reduce stress

How to chew properly?

You should chew your food until it is small enough to swallow easily so that your stomach does not have to work too hard. In addition, the following are some of the tips:

• Make sure that you have enough time. 
• Cut your food into small, easy to chew portions.
• Chew thoroughly.
• Swallow slowly.
• Wait until you have completely finished chewing before taking another bite.
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Chewing might seem like a no-brainer, but the way you eat can contribute a lot to your overall health. Relish each bite so that it is absorbed in the body properly and give you the required fuel for the optimal functionality of your body.