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
limousine Ackley .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareSome fats are good for you. Your body can't function... Read More
Our diet is an essential factor for the formation of... Read More
If you're looking for a power-packed entr?e or soup to... Read More
Could it be possible that our beloved chocolate may actually... Read More
Recently, I had the pleasure of seeing my 6-month old... Read More
High Fructose Corn SyrupBefore we get to high fructose corn... Read More
Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who's the healthiest of them... Read More
Strict "no carb" phases of low carb diets have developed... Read More
Scandinavian fishermen are a healthy bunch. It had long been... Read More
Obesity is epidemic in this country for both children and... Read More
It is amazing to be able to say I am... Read More
Since Dr Basant Puri, a consultant psychiatrist and senior lecturer... Read More
It seems as if the health of America is failing.... Read More
During the past thirty years there has been a steadily... Read More
Your magnificent machine is, in fact, a symbiotic collection of... Read More
You can start today - right now, even - on... Read More
Factory FarmingThe big names in American agriculture would like you... Read More
In the last twenty years, a huge and growing body... Read More
Step 1: Eat five to ten servings per day of... Read More
It's really hard to believe that something could be worse... Read More
Fire ElementAccording to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) there are five... Read More
I first learned of Milk Soy Protein Intolerance (MSPI) in... Read More
A beautiful smile and healthy mouth actually can come from... Read More
We've heard it not only once or twice or even... Read More
Having spent most of my life living off of junk... Read More
shuttle from O'Hare Alexander ..They sit left behind on relish trays. They're often by-passed... Read More
Some experts consider carbohydrate craving and addiction as something more... Read More
Looking for an easy and natural way increase your vitality... Read More
Fruit calories are very healthy as compared to calories in... Read More
There are numerous diets out there that guarantee that they... Read More
What if you could actually slow your rate of aging,... Read More
I know you've heard this many times - "Drink more... Read More
In order to eat fewer calories than you need, you... Read More
Acid Reflux Disease, or GERD, is a common disease which... Read More
Fats have been unfairly lumped together as being all bad... Read More
For all I prefer to buy my fresh produce at... Read More
I turned into my parents' driveway in Maryland and parked... Read More
Everyone can benefit from understanding how food affects our... Read More
If you're suffering from constipation, you are no doubt looking... Read More
Soy, and most soy-based products, are nutritional powerhouses. Soybeans are... Read More
You say you don't know what glyconutrients are? You are... Read More
Initially discovered as a new element in 1811 by Barnard... Read More
DIETARY SOURCES OF GLUTATHIONE: Glutathione (GSH) is an antioxidant and... Read More
Have you ever felt like you were completely losing your... Read More
The sugar industry and the food manufacturers are capitalizing BIG... Read More
About 12.6 million Americans currently have heart disease.1.1 million Americans... Read More
Apart from eating many of the wonderful vegetables and fruits... Read More
In parts 1-6 of this series of articles titled "Take... Read More
While oxygen is the key to human survival, it is... Read More
Sprouts not only taste good, but they are also a... Read More
Nutrition |