What if I told you there was a simple step you could take to help improve your digestion, increase nutrient absorption, reduce acid reflux and reduce weight gain?

Would you like this thing even better if it didn’t cost anything and didn’t take time to prepare?

Here’s the deal… it’s easy, it’s free, it’s super effective, but you have to take a little time to focus on it while it’s happening.

This ‘thing’ I’m referring to is chewing. Yes, chewing, as in chewing your food, not gum, and doing more of it for each bite.

Have you ever stopped to think about how many times you chew for each bite? It’s probably not even close to the recommended 25 or more times per mouthful. But here’s the thing, just taking time to chew can bring a lot of health benefits.

Taking time to chew your food not only improves digestions and nutrient absorption as I first mentioned, it also helps you feel full sooner, assists with weight loss and maintenance and controls the hormones that make you feel hungry.

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2011 found that people who chewed their food 40 times a mouthful had lower levels of the hormone ghrelin, which stimulates appetite and had higher levels of a hormone, leptin, that reduces ©.

So the next time you sit down to eat, take a moment to do a little experiment. Try chewing each bite 25 times before swallowing. It’s hard to do, but you will quickly realize how much better the food has been broken down. That means better absorption of nutrients and better digestion, which of course means better overall health, too. After all, digestion starts in your mouth! Try it and let me know what you think.