Chewing: An easy wellness tool!

We know it can be tough to squeeze in wellness during your school day, but an easy way to continue your wellness journey during your day is to chew your food! You might be thinking, well of course I chew my food, but if you are working and eating, or eating and driving, or eating during a meeting, chances are you aren’t chewing your food enough!

Digestion starts in the mouth, so it’s important to let your food spend some time there! Chewing helps the food breakdown, making it easier for the spleen to digest. This helps with the process of making food into qi or from the western point of view, extracting the nutrients we need to stay healthy.

What’s the ideal number of chews per mouthful? 30 on average. The goal is to turn each mouthful into a soup-like consistency. So something like mashed potatoes may be only 5-10 chews, while steak could be 40.

Not only does chewing help with digestion by breaking food down, making it easier for the stomach to process, it makes it easier on your esophagus too. Our esophagus is a muscular tube connecting our throat to our stomach.

Chewing also reduces the risk of bacterial overgrowth – lumps of food that aren’t broken down properly can cause bacterial overgrowth in the colon, which leads to indigestion, bloating, flatulence and constipation.

If you’re really being gentle with digestion, soup is a great way to go. There’s a reason soup’s a go-to when we’re not feeling well.

Places you’re likely NOT to chew your food enough: behind the wheel, working at your desk, and meetings. We know eating and working is multitasking behavior many educators use as we prep for the afternoon lessons, respond to emails, and/or attend early morning meetings. But eating and working actually interferes with your digestion, so remember to take the time to stop, sit down, take a deep breath, and chew your food. Your body will thank you!