No, I'm not 25...
I AM A 25.
25 is the number of times I chew each bite of food I eat.
How about you? In another article (Improve Your Health by Improving Your Digestion) I talk about the importance of choosing the number of times you chew each bite of your food.
By doing this you make it easier for your body to digest what you eat.
This is important because it frees up energy in your body, which can be used for other health-related tasks.
There isn't a set number that you need to follow.
You just need to find a number that is easy for you to remember, and then stick with it for each mouthful...
at each meal...
each day.
People often tell me that chewing their food a set number of times is absolutely ridiculous.
They don't have the time or patience to spend that much time and energy on eating.
Sadly, many of the people I hear this from "coincidentally" happen to also suffer from digestive problems.
Not only does chewing your food make the digestive process easier for your body, it also makes you less likely to get indigestion.
While there are many reasons people experience indigestion, one of the main causes is the extra burden placed on their digestive system by processing partially chewed food.
In case you are curious, here is a quick example of how not fully chewing your food may be negatively impacting your health.
Eating improperly can cause indigestion.
Indigestion can cause discomfort and irritability.
This can lead to stress.
Stress causes the body to release the hormone cortisol.
At normal levels cortisol is important to the overall function of your body.
But during periods of sustained stress, cortisol increases blood pressure and blood sugar levels - and has an immunosuppressive action...
that means that it "suppresses the immune system".
Cortisol also stimulates the secretion of gastric acid (stomach acid) which can further aggravate indigestion.
When you are already stressed, if cortisol is released into your system you will likely begin to feel worse, making the whole process a vicious cycle.
Who would have thought that something as simple as chewing your food can make that much of an impact on your health? So remember...
pick a number and chew your food until it is liquefied.
Give it a try, and see how much better you feel.
You may be pleasantly surprised.