I am going to share with you possibly the most important piece of advice you will ever receive about nutrition. This piece of advice is not about supplementation. It is not about what you should be eating. However this piece of advice affects every other dietary choice that you make.
Are you ready?
Chew your food!
Chewing is the first step of the digestive process. The fancy word for it is mastication. What it means is that what you put in your mouth is ground up into smaller pieces and mixed with some digestive enzymes to begin the digestive process.
What is the digestive process? To understand the process, it's best to first understand the purpose. The purpose of digestion is to extract beneficial materials from what you eat and expel the rest. This process involves breaking down your food into smaller and smaller pieces. When some of those pieces are small enough they are absorbed into your bloodstream. Other components, like insoluble fiber, continue on through your intestines and help to expel other waste products and to clean the surfaces of your intestines.
So what does this have to do with chewing? If you do not properly to your food, what you have eaten will go through your digestive system as large pieces of food. You do not have teeth anywhere else in your body. After you swallow your food, there are no other opportunities to break up large pieces of food. The acid from your stomach and the enzymes from your small intestine will only be able to act on the exposed surfaces. Chewing properly is the only way to grind up your food so that it is small enough to allow the rest of your digestive system to extract as many of the available nutrients as possible.
So the next time you eat, put a little thought into the first step of digestion. Chew your food.
Dave Saunders is a certified nutritional educator, wellness coach and author. He is also the host of a weekly, nation-wide telephone lecture on health and nutrition. For additional information, please visit http://www.glycoboy.com or email Dave at http://www.glycoboy.com
elite cleaning services Des Plaines ..Wow! Is it just me or? Wait! Let me start... Read More
Could it be possible that our beloved chocolate may actually... Read More
They're not only good for you, but they taste good,... Read More
With the release of the new dietary guidelines, in the... Read More
Your fiber intake is a critical factor in weight loss... Read More
Zingiber officinale has been held in the highest regard by... Read More
After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in... Read More
The proliferation of fast food restaurants, convenience stores, and vending... Read More
When was the last time you consumed soda? Most likely,... Read More
The problem with sugar is that it doesn't contain any... Read More
The research in support of dietary omega-3 fatty acids (such... Read More
Is the thrill gone? Has the thrill gone out of... Read More
Fruit calories are very healthy as compared to calories in... Read More
I am going to share with you possibly the most... Read More
Bright white teeth and fresh breath does not necessarily... Read More
Vitamin EThere has been a lot of controversy about vitamin... Read More
There are numerous diets out there that guarantee that they... Read More
It is amazing to be able to say I am... Read More
Most digestive disorders develop because of the bodys inability to... Read More
White-spotted or yellow splotched teeth may reveal more than needed... Read More
Since the 1930's the western diet has dramatically changed. This... Read More
The story of creation begins with water. Water is an... Read More
For most people, the concept of capsulized food? usually conjures... Read More
We sometimes hear about ways that we can take care... Read More
Female and male athletes respond to training in a fairly... Read More
eco-friendly cleaning service Buffalo Grove ..The Human Body is in a constant flux with the... Read More
There seems to be fairly poor tracking by any formal... Read More
Can You Lose Weight Through Eating?You get fat when you... Read More
The sugar industry and the food manufacturers are capitalizing BIG... Read More
I would like to raise a question: Is Rejuvenation possible... Read More
Endurance Sports are like music concerts. They start at a... Read More
Carbohydrates have gotten a lot of bad press in the... Read More
OK, no more excuses. Here's how to stop making everyone... Read More
You say you don't know what glyconutrients are? You are... Read More
Some of the things you think you know that just... Read More
Acid reflux disease, or GERD, is a common compliant of... Read More
In parts 1-4 of this series of articles titled "Take... Read More
According to the National Institute of Health, Magnesium is needed... Read More
Spring is in the air and ? summer is around... Read More
We know we need to eat a minimum of 5... Read More
The total calories that you should be consuming depend on... Read More
Meal sizes and frequency are very important. Over the years... Read More
Lactose is the primary carbohydrate in milk. Cow's milk contains... Read More
The acai (ah-sigh-ee) berry has been around for thousands of... Read More
The concept isometric has been a part of the health... Read More
Flaxseeds may be the smallest seeds you will find in... Read More
Vitamin EThere has been a lot of controversy about vitamin... Read More
Diet nutrition physiqueToday, learning about diet nutrition physique isn't all... Read More
Most of us are "regular" people. We don't eat the... Read More
Finding simple ways to reduce my waistline is always a... Read More
Nutrition |