Do you often experience abdominal pain, bloating, gas or reflux after eating a meal? You may be surprised to learn that there is a simple way to avoid digestive system problems. You can reduce these symptoms and other possible health issues you may not have considered. The simple solution is to chew your food properly.
Here are 6 ways chewing properly helps avoid digestive system problems.
6 Reasons to Chew Properly to Avoid Digestive System Problems
1. Avoid digestive system problems while providing increased energy
Chewing is the mechanical breakdown of your food into smaller particles. The breakdown of your food into smaller particles makes it easier for food to pass through your esophagus. Smaller particles also make it easier for you to digest your food and convert it into energy.
Chewing signals your brain to prime the rest of your digestive system. Your digestive system then produces the stomach acid and pancreatic juices needed for optimal digestion. Digestion requires a lot of energy. Priming your system to avoid digestive system problems reduces the energy your body uses in digestion. That means that you’ll have more energy to do the activities you enjoy.
2. Allow increased nutrient absorption
Chewing breaks down your food into smaller particles. This creates more surface area for enzymes to touch and allows more nutrients to be absorbed and utilized by your body.
3. Prevent undigested food from entering your bloodstream
When food is not chewed well, the larger food particles are not fully digested. These particles can pass into your bloodstream. They are foreign to your body and can trigger your immune system to attack them. This immune reaction creates an inflammatory response in your body. In addition, the undigested particles end up in the liver which rids the body of toxins. Over time, this can burden the liver and cause other health problems. Chewing your food well can prevent these problems.
4. Help you eat less and aids in weight loss
It takes approximately 20 minutes for your brain to signal that you are full. Chewing your food thoroughly causes you to eat more slowly. This allows you the time to feel full before you have overeaten. By eating slowly, you are controlling your portions naturally. Portion control can help you lose weight.
5. Reduces the likelihood of bacterial overgrowth
If you don’t chew your food well, you may not fully digest it. Food that is not fully digested can feed bacteria. This can lead to bacterial overgrowth. Bacterial overgrowth causes indigestion symptoms like bloating, gas and abdominal pain.
6. Aids in transport of food through your digestive system
Chewing helps move food through your digestive tract. As you chew, you produce saliva. Saliva lubricates and eases the passage of food through your esophagus.
For food to move from your stomach into your small intestine, the lower stomach muscle, the pylorus, must relax. Saliva generated when you chew well signals the pylorus to relax. This allows your food to pass smoothly into your small intestine.
How to Chew Properly to Avoid Digestive System Problems
You learned 6 reasons to chew properly. Here are some tips to help you chew your food properly to avoid digestive system problems:
1. Take small bites
2. Chew your food until it is liquefied and has no texture
3. Finish chewing and swallowing before taking another bite
4. Take time to taste and savor each bite
5. Put down your fork between bites
For more information on how to avoid digestive system problems, click below to schedule your COMPLIMENTARY Discovery Session with me. Explore today how I can help you restore your stomach and renew your life!