This week’s ‘Renew You’ Challenge? CHEW!

Take a minute to think about how well you chew your food. (It’ll probably surprise you). Do you even know how you chew? Or are you pretty sure that you don’t chew enough? Most people barely chew enough to get the food safely down the esophagus, let alone enough time to ensure that it will be properly digested.

The next time you sit down to a meal, chew each bite (yes, each and every bite) until it is complete mush. Then, and only then, swallow.

A few things will happen:

• You will eat slower.
• You will get full faster.
• Which means that you will eat less.
• Most importantly, you will better digest your food, which has far-reaching, beneficial effects on your gut.

Imagine if you did this at every meal. You could even lose those extra five pounds. And you might just gain an appreciation for the nutrition your food gives you.