Health gem

If you do one thing this week . . . chew your food properly

How often do you think about chewing?

Unless it’s a problem – maybe you’re a bit numb after a trip to the dentist – you probably pay little heed to the process of mastication, to give it the technical name. But chewing is an important step in digesting food properly and getting its benefits.

Chewing mixes your food with saliva, which contains its own enzymes to start breaking it down.

And when you physically chew your food into smaller particle sizes, you make it easier for your stomach and small intestine to chemically digest that food and take up its nutrients.

Chewing food well rather than wolfing it down will also give your body’s satiety signals more time to kick in as you fill up, so it may help you avoid overeating. Engage with and appreciate food to improve digestion, says nutritionist Gaye Godkin.