Good digestion begins with complete and conscious chewing. Chewing increases the surface area of food which increases the absorption of nutrients and improves gastric emptying. This means more energy for your body, less constipation and less time spent on the toilet! More complete chewing has also been found to improve hormonal balance, vitality and short-term memory. However, as important as chewing is, only about one individual in one hundred today makes an effort to consciously chew their food.

Dr. Horace Fletcher (1849–1919), an expert in dietetics, was a major proponent of good chewing during the Victorian era. Fletcher once ran an experiment in which half of his subjects were instructed to thoroughly chew their food while the other half did not change their chewing habits. The study noted a significant improvement in the overall health and performance of the group that chewed their food more completely.

Fletcher recommended that every mouthful be chewed 50 times for half a minute before being swallowed. My suggestion is that you try and chew each bite at least 32 times. You may be very surprised at what a beneficial effect such a simple change in your approach to eating can make. Not only will you have less intestinal gas and bloating, you will probably find yourself feeling more satiated with less food.

Dr. Verena Raschke