Healthy Eating

Surprisingly, digestion actually starts in the mouth, and healthy eating does not only mean eating healthy foods! Proper chewing is the most important part of digestion; chewing breaks foods down to their smallest parts, allowing for nutrient absorption in the intestines, which produces good nutrition. Nutritionists use the showy word mastication. It means that the food in your mouth is reduced to small pieces; then, the saliva adds a few enzymes to it, starting the digestive process.

Eating and chewing must be done slowly. By masticating slowly and feeling and enjoying what we put in our mouth, we discover the real taste of the food we eat. And, this makes the job easier for our intestines. The intestines do not chew food; they absorb nutrients from the food passing through the digestive system. The small and minute (well chewed) portions of food will be readily absorbed, because they will be easily dissolved by the acids from the stomach and the enzymes from the small intestine. However, with large food pieces, this process will only be effective on the exposed surface.

Do not engage in stressful conversations, discuss personal problems or watch tense television programs while eating. And, do not continue eating after you feel full, or you’ll be tired and sleepy afterwards. The brain is slow telling you you’ve had enough; therefore, eating slowly allows the message to arrive in time. Normally, eat a hearty breakfast, a medium lunch, and a light dinner. But, you can help your metabolism by eating six small nutritional meals during the day, instead of three larger meals; and, this will keep you off snacks and junk food. Finally, it is a good idea to take a good multivitamin supplement, kind of a nutrient catchall, at the end of the meal.