The process of chewing is the breakdown the food and release enzymes which kick start digestion. It also gets the food to the stomach in manageable slivers that are broken down. If we eat too fast air can also go down and this can cause gas which will be uncomfortable.

If food is not chewed properly, there won’t be enough salivary enzymes to break down the food (lipase), they cannot do their job adequately and therefore partially digested food will enter the stomach, it will also leave the stomach unprepared for proteins. Therefore the end result will be malabsorption of the vital nutrients the body needs and a build up of undigested matter. It is very easy to forget what we eat can internally inflict wounds and a stomach prone to indigestion is very tender. Chewing cannot be overemphasized in cases of irritable bowel or diverticulitis.

Best Ways To Eat

• Sit down at a table, enjoy and savour your meal
• Do not watch television as this can cut digestion down by 1/3
• Chew each mouthful 50 times
• Eat slowly. Try to think eating time as your time
• Make sure you are calm when you eat
• Remember our tummies don’t have teeth!