BENEFITS OF CHEWING FOOD PROPERLY

BENEFITS OF CHEWING  FOOD PROPERLY 

Chewing food may not seem that important, especially when you are pressed for time and you need to get your food down so you can go on with your routine. But properly chewing food before swallowing can have many benefits to your overall health because it makes it easier for your digestive system.

Makes You Feel Full Faster

When you take the time to properly chew your food, you will eat slower, and far less, but still feel full after your meal. Eating slower gives your brain time to register that you are eating, and therefore it is able to send a signal that you are full when you have eaten enough. You usually have to be about 20 minutes into the meal before your brain is able to send this signal.

Knowing when to stop eating will not only prevent you from gaining excess weight, but it will also help you to lose weight. It will also prevent you from feeling uncomfortably full and tired after your meal.

Helps Absorb Nutrients

Digestion begins in the mouth as soon as the food is exposed to saliva. The longer you chew your foods, the more the food will be exposed to saliva, and as a result more nutrients will be absorbed. This is especially true for nuts and seeds as well as fruits and vegetables, as they contain hard cellulose fibers which cannot be broken down anywhere but in the mouth. This is why when you eat nuts, corn or other vegetables they just seem to pass through your system if they are not properly chewed.

When your body is able to absorb all the nutrients from the foods that you eat you will have much higher energy levels. On top of that, no energy will be wasted on eliminating foods that the body cannot digest or break down.

Prevent Heart burn

Properly chewing your food helps to make it easier on the esophagus, as well as your digestive system because you will eat less at each meal. It prevents you from swallowing air along with your food, which can also contribute to heartburn. Chewing also promotes the secretion of saliva which naturally helps to neutralize stomach acid, thus it helps to prevent heartburn.

Helps with Digestion

Carbohydrates are mainly digested in the mouth by the alpha amylase enzyme that is found in saliva. The digestion of fat is also started in the mouth by the lingual lipase enzymes, which are produced by the salivary glands located underneath the tongue.

Food that is not properly chewed is not exposed to these enzymes properly, but instead is passed along into the colon in chunks where it feeds harmful bacteria. This can result in gas, bloating, abdominal cramping, constipation and other symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.

Promotes Good Oral Hygiene

The saliva that is produced by the extra chewing helps to kill harmful bacteria, and washes away food particles from around your teeth. Additionally, saliva contains hydrogen carbonate which helps to neutralize plaque build up.

You do not need to count how many times you chew your food, as each type of food has different requirements. A general rule is to chew until you cannot feel the texture of the food in your mouth.

SUMMER STAR - WATERMELON

SUMMER STAR - WATERMELON 

 Replenish   yourself with watermelon in this summer

Watermelon season is now getting started. Especially during the summer months, hydration becomes so important as you are likely sweating more than usual, further increasing your need. Eating more fruits and vegetables is a great way to increase your hydration level while providing your body with plenty of vitamins and nutrients. The watermelon has a large amount of water because it is rich in electrolytes The body temperature increases when the weather gets hot. The watermelon will actually help you cool off  because of it’s water content. This fact makes the watermelon the perfect option when you want to rehydrate. Your body needs water for cells processes and also for smooth skin. Ensure that you eat a watermelon in summer.

NUTRITIOUS

Watermelon is an excellent source of vitamin C. Vitamin C is essential in boosting the immune system. Diseases like the flu will no longer disturb you. The watermelon will also slow down the aging process by giving you great, healthy skin. Vitamin C will also help to avert cell damage and heal wounds. This vitamin will help prevent cataracts and also facilitate healthy gums and teeth.

It is a very good source of vitamin A, notably through its concentration of beta-carotene. This helps to prevent night blindness and infections. Kidney and liver diseases can be prevented as this fruit has citrulline. Citrulline is an amino-acid that can be converted to an essential amino acid, arginine. Arginine helps to get rid of excess ammonia from the body.

 Watermelon is rich in the B vitamins , especially vitamin B1 and B6. It is also a rich source of magnesium . Vitamin B6 is essential in helping people to deal with panic and anxiety in a better way. It promotes chemicals in the brain that facilitate proper state of the mind. The watermelon boosts the well being of the nervous system and reduces risks of hypertension as it is rich in potassium. 

HEALTHY 

The watermelon is full of antioxidants. These are elements that prevent the production of free radicals in the body. Antioxidants also ensure that overproduction of substances in the body is prevented.

Free radicals are substances in the body that can cause a great deal of damage. They are able to oxidize cholesterol, making it stick to blood vessel walls, where it can lead to heart attack or stroke. They can add to the severity of asthma attacks by causing airways to clamp down and close. They can increase the inflammation that occurs in osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis and cause most of the joint damage that occurs in these conditions, and they can damage cells lining the colon, turning them into cancer cells. Fortunately, vitamin C and beta-carotene are very good at getting rid of these harmful molecules and can therefore prevent the damage they would otherwise cause. As a matter of fact, high intakes of vitamin C and beta-carotene have been shown in a number of scientific studies to reduce the risk of heart disease, reduce the airway spasm that occurs in asthma, reduce the risk of colon cancer, and alleviate some of the symptoms of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

One of the major antioxidants present in the watermelon is lycopene. The antioxidant function of lycopene—its ability to help protect cells and other structures in the body from oxygen damage—has been linked in human research to prevention of heart disease. Protection of DNA (our genetic material) inside of white blood cells has also been shown to be an antioxidant role of lycopene Lycopene reduces the risks of heart disease and prostate cancer. People who include watermelons in their diet have a lesser chance of getting a heart attack that those who do not.

One more reason to enjoy watermelon before summer ends: this sweet, crunchy, cooling fruit is exceptionally high in citrulline, an amino acid our bodies use to make another amino acid, arginine, which is used in the urea cycle to remove ammonia from the body, and by the cells lining our blood vessels to make nitric oxide. Nitric oxide not only relaxes blood vessels, lowering high blood pressure, it is the compound whose production is enhanced by Viagra to prevent erectile dysfunction. Arginine has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity in obese type 2 diabetic patients with insulin resistance. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2006 Nov;291(5):E906-12. In volunteers drinking three 8-ounce glasses of watermelon juice each day for three weeks, blood levels of arginine (synthesized from citrulline provided by the watermelon) were 11% higher than in controls. Volunteers who drank six daily 8-ounce glasses of watermelon juice for 3 weeks had arginine levels 18% higher than controls. Nutrition. 2007 Mar;23(3):261-6.

Five Steps to a Healthy Lifestyle

FIVE STEPS TO A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

1                Get Active for an hour each day

Physical activity increases your chances of living a longer, healthier life. It can also help you look and feel your best. Be patient. Change takes time.

     Benefits of active living:

·       Be healthier

·       Increase chances of living longer

·       Feel better about yourself

·       Have less chance of becoming depressed

·       Sleep better at night

·       Help to look good

·       Be in shape

·       Get around better

·       Have stronger muscles and bones

·       Help to stay at or get to a healthy weight

·       Be with friends or meet new people

·       Enjoy yourself and have fun

Do it your way

• Pick an activity you like and one that fits into your life. 
• Find the time that works best for you.
• Be active with friends and family. Having a support network can help you keep up with your program.
• There are many ways to build the right amount of activity into your life. Every little bit adds up and doing something is better than doing nothing.
• Take a brisk walk around the neighborhood after dinner today.
• Make an activity plan for next week and write it on your calendar.
• Start small. Try taking a walk after dinner twice a week, or do sit-ups while you watch TV.
• Mix it up. Learn new stretches and warm-up exercises.
• Sign up for a fitness class if possible .
•  Choose an activity that’s new for  you.
• Wake up a few minutes earlier to go for a brisk walk  before breakfast.
• Walk or ride your bike to the store or coffee shop.
• Choose activities that work all the different parts of the body—your legs, hips, back, chest, stomach, shoulders, and arms.
• Exercises for each muscle group should be repeated 8 to 12 times per session.

Try some of these activities a couple of days a week :

• Heavy gardening (digging, shoveling)
• Lifting weights
• Push-ups on the floor or against the wall
• Sit-ups
• Working with resistance bands (long, wide rubber strips that stretch)

      Choose Water as a drink

Water has none of the sugar, found in fruit drinks, soft drinks, sports drinks and flavoured mineral waters.

   If you feel thirsty you’re probably already starting to dehydrate, so make sure you drink water regularly and especially before any physical activity.

  Have a few mouthfuls of water during any breaks in playing games or sport.

 After sport or exercise, drink plenty of water to make up for what you’ve lost in sweat.

Fruit juice, which contains Vitamin C, is often seen as a healthy choice of drink. However, fruit juice is high in sugar and kilojoules, just like fruit drinks, flavoured mineral water, energy drinks and soft drinks. For example, a 250ml cup of apple juice or cola contains up to six teaspoons of sugar. 
Add it up: just one can of soft drink per day means you’re adding 18 kilos of sugar to your diet each year!
You can have them occasionally, but these drinks are not a necessary part of a healthy diet. Use smaller glasses when drinking sugary drinks.

    Eat more Fruits and Vegetables

      Healthy eating includes eating at least five portions, and ideally 7-9 portions, of a variety of fruit or vegetables each day. Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables every day is healthy for you. They have vitamins and minerals that can help protect your health. Most are also lower in calories and higher in fiber than other foods. As part of a healthy diet, eating fruits and vegetables instead of high-fat foods may make it easier to control your weight.

    Benefits of eating more Fruits & Vegetables :

•  You have a lower chance of developing cardiovascular diseases due atheroma ('hardening of the arteries'). For example, heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, or a stroke.
• You have a lower chance of developing some cancers such as bowel and lung cancer.
• Contain lots of fibre which helps to keep your bowels healthy. Problems such as constipation and diverticular disease are less likely to develop.
• Contain plenty of vitamins and minerals, which are needed to keep you healthy.
• Are naturally low in fat.
• Are filling but are low in calories. So, they are ideal to keep your weight in control.

How to Increase Eating

Breakfast   -  Add some fruit to your cereal.

Snack -         Grab a piece of fruit.

Lunch -          Eat a big salad.

Snack -         Choose raw vegetables as an afternoon snack.

Dinner  -        Have two vegetables with dinner and eat fruit for dessert

     Turn off TV and Computer & Get Active

Spending too much sedentary or ‘still’ time watching TV, surfing online or playing computer games is linked to becoming overweight or obese. People who watch TV for more than 2 hours every day are more likely to have an unhealthy diet, less likely to eat fruit and less likely to be physically active. People who watch more TV are more likely to snack on foods that are high in sugar, salt or saturated fat when they’re watching TV.

• Set limits on TV viewing. If there is a specific program that you want to watch, turn the TV off once it is finished. Alternatively, record the program and watch it together later on.
• Set limits for computer games and being online – no more than 2 hours a day and not during daylight hours when you could be outside and active.
• Don’t watch  TV or computer in your  bedroom. Keep them in a common area of the family home so you can do other actives while watching TV.

    Eat Fewer Snacks And Choose alternative Healthier

You have striven to keep unhealthy foods out of the house to begin with, you must focus on developing a strong sense of self control because you will not always be in controlled situations. Start by focusing less on food. If you look forward to coming home from wherever you have been and having a nice little snack; stop this destructive habit! The more you think about food, the more you build up a temptation to overeat. Think of eating as a necessity, not a comfort thing. Drink tea, coffee or water to soothe yourself on returning home.

You can still allow yourself eating snacks, but eat slightly less and less frequently. A self-test to see if you're really hungry: if you search around the refrigerator and pantry, you are not really hungry; you're just eating compulsively. If you have a particular snack in mind, like eating an orange, you probably really do need nourishment. This is not to say, however, that just because you are craving ice cream it is alright to eat it. Remember to observe the distinction between mouth-hungry and stomach-hungry.

Cut down on the junk food. If you find the transition from junky food to healthier food too extreme, begin by buying less unhealthy foods. For example,; instead of ordering take  out pizza, make a home made veggie pizza. replace potato chips and french onion dip with apples and peanut butter or carrots and ranch/italian dressing. Replace soda with mineral water, malts/shakes with smoothies, and fruit snacks with an assortmant of berries

Avoid buying or accepting sweet and fatty foods! If these things aren't in your house then you can't be tempted by them! Especially dangerous foods that should be avoided are ice cream, cookies, any leftover desserts, potato chips, pie, and candy.

Keep the content of your snacks healthy. Try to balance them according to your meals. For example, if you ate cereal at breakfast, a cheese sandwich at lunch, and macaroni and cheese for dinner, you shouldn't have yogurt as a snack. Your best bet is to have a piece of fruit, snack bar, or a tasty vegetable, like carrots or baby tomatoes.

For example, replace potato chips and french onion dip with apples and peanut butter or carrots and ranch/italian dressing. Replace soda with mineral water, malts/shakes with smoothies, and fruit snacks with an assortmant of berries.

Remember the crucial steps in eating spur-of-the-moment healthy snacks:

First- be sure you buy predominantly healthy foods. This means avoiding anything the has a lot of trans fat, calories, or starch (especially sugar).

Second- try to exercise self-control. Too much of anything is bad for you, so don't eat huge snacks.

 Third- don't focus or depend on your snacks. Only eat them when you are actually hungry. Fourth, when you do eat snacks, eat something that will supply you with nutrients lacking from your meals.

Finally, you can always count on whole grain foods, fruits, vegetables, and most unprocessed foods to be relatively healthy.