How many times should you chew each bite of food? Why this matters.
Chewing is kind of a big deal for nutritionist
Why Chewing Matters
When I have clients write in a food log, I also ask for the time spent on each meal and where they ate it. This can tell me whether they were in a relaxed state or a rushed, hectic, mindless state.
The food log can also indicate how fast they ate that meal.
Some people are naturally slow eaters, while others could use some practice.
If you finish your meal before everyone else at the table, odds are you are a fast eater. Slowing down the eating process has quite a few benefits.
If you swallow with minimal chewing, you have missed a vital step in the digestive process.
A fast eater may complain of feeling “too full” or have digestive complaints.
There may be a straightforward reason for these digestive issues.
Enzyme production requires chewing.
Digestion starts in the mouth. As you are chewing, digestive enzymes are released via the salivary glands to begin digestion.
Hydrochloric acid production
The chewing process also triggers the production of stomach acid, which is needed to break down your food and kill any potential pathogens that enter along with your food.
You will eat less when you chew your food thoroughly
The longer it takes you to eat your food, the more time there is for the signal that you are full to get to the brain to tell you to stop eating. People who eat fast and rush through a meal can overeat without realizing it because the brain has no time to catch up.
It takes about 20 minutes for the brain to signal that you are full. Eat slowly to avoid overeating.
Chewing reduces self-reported hunger, and a systematic review indicated that the more you chew a bite of food, the more it increases gut hormone release, thereby influencing appetite.
You will absorb more nutrients when you chew thoroughly
Chewing your food will aid the body’s ability to absorb the smaller particles; thus, you will obtain more nutrients from your food.
Chewing can aid in glucose regulation.
Dr. Mercola said in this article that chewing and how long you chew can affect glucose metabolism. People with type 2 diabetes who chewed less had higher blood sugar than those who did chew their food thoroughly.
Why you should skip the beverages with a meal
Growing up, we never had a beverage with our meals, so everyone else having a beverage at the table was always a bit strange for me. Turns out, my mother knew quite a lot about nutrition that most others did not know.
When you chew your food, you release saliva that helps you masticate and swallow it. If you chew your food well, there is no reason you need a beverage at the table.
Additionally, swallowing big gulps of juice, soda, water, or wine will dilute those salivary gland digestive enzymes.
Lastly, you do not need the empty beverage calories at a meal to fill you up. Save that space for the nutrient-dense food that is in front of you.
A surprising benefit of chewing your food!
When you chew your food, you use the muscles that move the jaw called masseters. Chewing your food can aid in brain preservation and reduce the risk of cognitive loss since the force created when you bite helps increase your brain’s neuronal activity.
How many times should you chew each bite of food?
Each bite should be thoroughly chewed, taking 15 to 30 times to break down the food with your teeth on average. More challenging foods, such as a tough steak or raw carrots, may require 40 chews, and a bite of mashed potatoes may need only 5 to 10 chews.
A way to tell that the bite of food is chewed thoroughly is when it has lost all of its texture and is liquified.
Tips on changing your eating style
Most people have no idea how many times they chew a bite of food, and it is not the most enjoyable way to consume a meal when counting each bite of food.
You will only need to count for a meal or two. If you are mindful, not eating while not paying attention to what you place in your mouth, you will start to understand the process of slowly consuming food.
Tips include,
Sitting at a table to eat
Eat while not distracted (no computer, TV, multitasking)
Eat when not in a stressed state
Do not have beverages at the table
Allow 20 minutes or more for a meal
Put utensils down out of your hands when chewing
Count the times a piece of food is chewed only for a meal or two, then pay attention to if the food has no lumps.
Are you a fast eater? Do you have digestive issues? Do you sip a beverage after every couple of bites of food?
I realize that in some cases, such as with the elderly, chewing this many times or chewing tough foods is not safe or practical. The other exception is people who are in active military service. Years ago, an Army cadet told me they were taught to chew only three times. I can understand why, at times, the military must eat in a rushed state.
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This is NOT information allopathic practitioners will share with you.
My grade school science teacher said that the correct number is twenty eight times, and she was very adamant about it. 😁