Believe it our not, there is one simple change that you CAN make today that will have a positive impact on your health and your ability to perform as a runner. Take time to slow down and thoroughly chew your food!
Did you know that digestion actually begins in your mouth? Not only does your saliva add moisture to your food making it easier to swallow, but it contains enzymes that help break down the food so that the stomach and intestines can do their job more efficiently.
When you rush through your meals either because you are in a hurry or you have just formed a habit of eating quickly, you cause unnecessary stress on your digestive system. Digestion in and of itself is a demanding process and requires a lot of energy. Food that has not been chewed properly requires the stomach to work harder to process it.
This partially chewed food will pass through the stomach and into the intestines. Here it begins to putrefy as bacteria breaks it down. This can cause gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation and other digestive issues. Think about it: the energy required to digest your partially chewed food could be energy used to run. Besides, running isn’t much fun when you feel bloated!
You rob your body of the much needed nutrients from your food when you don’t chew it properly. Since your stomach passes the large particles of food into the intestines, it is unable to absorb the all of the nutrients from the food. As a result you loose out on the energy, nutrients and electrolytes that your food could be providing you to fuel your workouts.
Chewing your food contributes to maintaining a healthy weight. It takes about 20 minutes for the brain to signal to the stomach that it is full. By slowing down and chewing your food thoroughly and not rushing through a meal, you are less likely to go back for seconds or thirds, therefore you are less likely to overeat.
Best Practices for Chewing Properly
- Smaller bites are easier to chew so cut up your food!
- Chew slowly. Take time to savor the flavor and enjoy your food.
- Chew until your saliva has thoroughly moistened your food and it is the consistency of a paste or liquid. Depending on the type of food you are eating this can range from 20-50 times.
- It’s not a race! Don’t shovel your food. Save the racing for running and wait until you completely finish chewing before taking another bite.
- Finally, don’t take a drink until you have swallowed your food.
You put in a lot of time and effort into your training. You work hard to see results. This one simple thing, chewing your food thoroughly, has the potential to be a difference maker when it comes to supplying your body with the nutrients and energy it needs to run and to race.
Ok, now it’s your turn! What is one thing that you can do to make sure you slow down and chew your food at your next meal? Make sure to leave your answer below.
