Are you sick of feeling bloated and having putrid flatulence? Are you tired of suffering from constipation? Do you realize the dangers of prolonged use of laxatives? Would you like to end the pain and discomfort associated with constipation? Would ten or fifteen minutes be a reasonable trade, if it would help you find a cure for constipation? What if this activity Could make you a better person?

Grandmothers have been telling us to do this from time eternal. She more than likely didn’t know it could cure constipation. No, this one is not fiber, prunes, fruit, juice, or even nuts. It is not drinking more water, or less dairy. It is also not exercising. These are all a cure for constipation, but not what I’m talking about. This remedy is absolute simplicity. OK this is an exercise, but it won’t ever make you sweat.

OK enough already! What is this magic obvious cure for digestion problems? Chew your food.

We are all in such hurries, we wolf our food without even tasting it let alone chewing. We don’t have time to eat, so we eat quickly, because we have 300 other things competing for our time. Here is what happens when we do chew our food, and what happens when we do not.

What chewing does for us.

Digestion begins in the mouth. Saliva contains enzymes needed to begin breaking the food we eat down. Our saliva alters the chemical makeup of the food. Chewing grinds the food which physically changes its structure as well. Take grain for instance. Not only does the saliva begin to change the grain into usable starch (sugar) so our body can absorb it, but the physical action of chewing mechanically breaks the fibers in the food. Your teeth effectively grind your food, so the saliva enzymes can completely penetrate the food you are chewing.

When you chew, your brain sends signals to your stomach and intestines that food is on the way. Your body can prepare itself for everything it will need to properly digest the food you eat. By giving your system a head start, the food you eat is better absorbed and digested. This passes the food more effectively and efficiently through your body. The more nutrients absorbed from the food you eat, the less fat that is absorbed for later use.

The last sentence is worth repeating. The more nutrients that are absorbed from the food you eat, the less fat that is extracted and stored for later use. Ladies listen up, when you eat fast, your system panics, little nutrients are absorbed, but fatis extracted and stored for later use.

What happens when properly chewing is ignored.

Food will not break down properly in your stomach if saliva doesn’t thoroughly saturate your food. The acids produced in your stomach are specially designed and formulated to react with the enzymes in your saliva, this is how digestion is designed. Less chewing time means less digestion from the digestive tract. Only the outermost layer of food is properly digested. This limits the small intestine to only get the nutrients from the outside layer. Besides absorbing the fat which normally keeps your stool soft, is indigestible food is pushed to the large intestine where it rots.

This rotting food causes gas, bloating, and pressure. Since all of the fat was absorbed rather than included with the waste to help make it soft, when water is extracted from the colon, you are left with constipation.

Now what about making you a better person?

By chewing your food completely, you will have less time to talk and more time to listen. Two ears, one mouth, use them in proportion. You will be surprised what will happen to your relationships when you listen twice as much as you talk.