A healthy gut and a hearty biome can benefit the body in myriad ways, aiding digestion, supporting energy levels and even influencing our personalities.
Gut health hacks have become all the rage among Gen Z and millennial social media users, who regularly discuss reversing chronic belly pains through nutrient-dense, plant-based meals and beverages.
However, one expert suggests that how we eat may be just as important as what we eat.
Megan Rossi, a registered dietitian and nutritionist, shared with HuffPost that the more we chew our food, the better off we are.
“It really just comes down to digestion,” she told the outlet this week. “Not only do we start to physically break down food in our mouths, but we have enzymes in our saliva that start to chemically break it down.”
Not chewing enough leaves food in large, undigested chunks, inviting ailments like diarrhea, gas, bloating, constipation and abdominal pain.
In addition to digestion, more chews means we’re massaging more nutrients out of our food, which benefits our guts.
Rossi explained: “One study looked at almonds, and they compared people who chewed the almonds 10 times versus 40 times. They showed that if you chewed them 40 times, you actually absorb so much more of that good nutrition … So chewing your food is really important for the extraction of a lot of that nutrition instead of pooping it out.”
Experts say a slow, thoughtful munch also benefits weight loss, helping people recognize when they are full and preventing overeating.
Being aware of the food in your mouth forces you to eat more mindfully, which is key to really enjoying it — and knowing when you’ve had enough.
So, how do you do the chew?
Rossi noted that while several apps help people chew more mindfully, her approach focuses on mindset.
“What I say to a lot of my clients at the clinic is, just focus on the first two mouthfuls of every meal,” she told HuffPost. “You’re never going to be doing 30 chews with every mouthful, but just focusing on the first two, and that starts to build the habit.”
Rossi said as little as three extra chews can become the basis for better habits.
“Count next time — literally count how many times you’re chewing [your mouthful of food] — and then add an extra three chews,” she said.
“And then, every meal, just focus on the first two mouthfuls having that extra three [chews],” Rossi continued. “And then if every couple of weeks you can add an extra one or two chews, then by six months, you’re hitting quite a good number of chews.”
