Since childhood, we are told that you need to thoroughly chew food and do not rush. But, as a rule, very few people do this advice, because no one explains to us why it is needed and what is useful for our body.
Everything begins with the mouth
In the mouth of the person is one of the main glands of the human body - salivary. The process of digesting food begins already during chewing. In addition, other organs participating in the subsequent digestion of food are activated.
Human saliva is a fairly complex product, consisting of water( about 98%), and enzymes, as well as substances that have antibacterial properties. When chewing food, chopped teeth, moistened with saliva, and under the influence of its enzymes begins the process of splitting complex carbohydrates, which greatly facilitates the further digestion.
No overload!
Poorly chewed food gets into the body in large pieces, which makes it difficult for the body to digest and digest.
Small pieces of food contain a small amount of air. Consequently, less air will enter the stomach, which means less chance that the body will suffer from gas formation or bloating.
By the way, when eating large chunks of food often there are difficulties in its movement through the gastrointestinal tract.
You give nutrients!
Well chewed food is well digested and quickly digested. From carefully chewed pieces of food, useful substances are absorbed by the body faster and much more efficiently. This is due to the fact that for each such piece the effect of digestive enzymes will be much stronger than on a large chunk of food.
Hurry, you'll go further
The feeling of saturation from the stomach to the brain receptors comes in 20 minutes. Therefore, if you eat quickly, you can eat and eat more than you need. But chewing slowly each piece of food, you can eat a little less and avoid such trouble as overeating.
All new - well forgotten old
Unfortunately, today more and more people are eating on the go and trying to get rid of food as quickly as possible. This leads to the fact that people lose taste. The more thoroughly we chew food, the more tasty and sweet it becomes due to the fact that saliva interacts more effectively with food and splits complex carbohydrates into simpler ones.
Try not to rush, but slowly and thoroughly chew the usual food, and you will discover a lot of new taste sensations.
How many times do I need to chew?
There is still no consensus on the number of chewing movements during a meal. Most scientists agree that solid food should be chewed 30-40 times, and liquid( soups, cereals, mashed potatoes) - at least 10 times.
Tips for beginners
To learn the right way, that is slowly and thoroughly, chew food, use the following simple tips:
- for food intake choose a special place;
- allocate not food enough time;
- during meals do not get distracted by talking, reading or watching TV;
- can try to replace the usual cutlery with chopsticks;
- do not slouch, sit straight and try to breathe more slowly and deeper.
Bon appetit!