How important is it to chew?

[Guest guest]

Hi,

Recently, I had to have something done to my mouth I won't bore you with --

having to do

with orthodontics, not cancer. Anyway, they've put these bits of cement-like

stuff in my

mouth to keep my jaw from completely closing.

Turns out I can't eat! Well, I can eat some things, (FOCC, for example! Hummus,

guacomole, that sort of thing) but certainly not salads, for example. Tonight, I

made a

quinoa and veggie dish that I absolutely could not eat (the quinoa being too

small to chew

without grinding so I was choking it down whole.)

In the end I liquidized it.

Here's my question. As it would appear that for the next 9-12 months I may not

be able

to eat properly, how bad is it for me to eat soups and liquidized food that

doesn't require

a lot of chewing? Soups would be ideal -- but isn't it going to be awful for my

body if I

don't chew my food first?

Thanks. I'm quite miserable and wondering if I can persuade the orthodontist to

get my

mouth in shape some other way.

Marti

[Guest guest]

Hi Marti, Chewing is very important. Digestion starts in the mouth.

Chewing stimulates digestive enzymes in the body as well as beginning

to break down food to make the nutrients available. If you wont be

able to chew for a while, I would suggest doing a lot of vegetable

juicing and quality enzyme supplementation.

[Moderator's note: Marti, you can also swish the food in your mouth

to mix it with saliva before swallowing.]

" Marti " wrote:

>...Here's my question. As it would appear that for the next 9-12 months

I may not be able to eat properly, how bad is it for me to eat soups and

liquidized food that doesn't require a lot of chewing? Soups would be ideal --

but isn't it going to be awful for my body if I

> don't chew my food first?

[Guest guest]

Thank you for the suggestions.

So when we eat soup, does that work out all right because it mixes a little with

saliva as we eat it?

Thanks again!

Marti

>

> Hi Marti, Chewing is very important. Digestion starts in the mouth.

> Chewing stimulates digestive enzymes in the body as well as beginning

> to break down food to make the nutrients available. If you wont be

> able to chew for a while, I would suggest doing a lot of vegetable

> juicing and quality enzyme supplementation.

>

> [Moderator's note: Marti, you can also swish the food in your mouth

> to mix it with saliva before swallowing.]

>

[Guest guest]

Yes, Marti.

You pretend you are chewing when you eat liquid things, and that mixes

them with the saliva, which begins the digestive process before they

pass into your esophagus. You might, if you are not troubled by this,

bring the liquid back up into the front of your mouth from the back of

your mouth a couple of times before swallowing, so as to mix it with as

much saliva as possible before finally swallowing.

Elliot

[Guest guest]

Marti

I would mostly be concerned about eating starches since enzymes for

starch digestion are in the saliva. Most other digestive enzymes are

in the lower stomach and small intestine. Protein is digested there.

GB

>

> Yes, Marti.

>

> You pretend you are chewing when you eat liquid things, and that

mixes

> them with the saliva, which begins the digestive process before

they

> pass into your esophagus. You might, if you are not troubled by

this,

> bring the liquid back up into the front of your mouth from the

back of

> your mouth a couple of times before swallowing, so as to mix it

with as

> much saliva as possible before finally swallowing.

>

> Elliot

>