Q:I have noticed that some people hardly chew their food before swallowing. Can this cause problems?

A:Okay, this brings up visions of people who literally inhale their food! You know those ones who are already done eating when people are still trying to get the first mouthful in 😀

Well, yes this is a problem. In the first instance, hardly chewing your food means that you are eating it way too fast. One of the problems associated with this, as we discussed yesterday, is that the person is likely to swallow a lot of air leading to a feeling of being bloated.

Then, eating too fast too could lead to a situation where your stomach does not have enough time to communicate to your brain that you are full. So, you’re probably already stuffed before you stop eating. This is a bad idea when we are thinking up ways to practice portion control 😀

Food that is not chewed properly is also that much more difficult for the digestive enzymes in the stomach and even saliva to act on. Chewing your food properly to a watery paste before swallowing helps saliva and digestive juices act on your food and thus, you get the benefit of all the nutrients in the food you have eaten.

To make sure you’re not guilty of this, take small bites of your food, chew slowly and intentionally, swallow the food in your mouth before you put more food in your mouth.

So, make a conscious effort today to eat slower. For obese people, it may not solve all weight loss problems (as other factors could be involved in their not feeling full often), but it’s a step in the right direction.

Have a great week y’all 😀