I’m a nutritionist – do this at every meal for better digestion, weight loss

A healthy gut and hearty biome can benefit the body in many ways, aiding digestion, supporting energy levels, and even influencing our personalities.

Gut health hacks are all the rage among Gen Z and millennial social media users, who regularly discuss reversing chronic gut pain through nutrient-dense, plant-based meals and drinks.

However, one expert suggests this HOW what we eat can be just as important as what we eat.

Megan Rossi, a registered dietitian and nutritionist, shared with HuffPost that the more we chew, the better off we are.

“It really just depends on the digestion,” she told the media this week. “Not only do we begin to physically break down the food in our mouths, but we have enzymes in our saliva that begin to break it down chemically.”

Not chewing enough leaves food in large, undigested chunks, causing ailments such as diarrhea, gas, bloating, constipation and abdominal pain.

In addition to digestion, more chewing means we’re massaging more nutrients from our food, which benefits our gut.

Rossi explained: “One study looked at almonds and they compared people who chewed almonds 10 times versus 40 times. They showed that if you chew 40 times, you actually absorb a lot more of that good food… So chewing your food is really important for getting a lot of that food out instead of pour it out.”

Experts say that slow, thoughtful chewing also benefits weight loss, helping people know when they are full and preventing overeating.

Being aware of the food in your mouth forces you to eat more mindfully, which is key to really enjoying it—and knowing when you’re full.

So how do you chew?

Rossi noted that while some apps help people chew more mindfully, her approach focuses on mindset.

“What I tell a lot of my clients at the clinic is, just focus on the first two bites of each meal,” she told HuffPost. “You’re never going to do 30 chews with every bite, but just focusing on the first two, and that starts to form the habit.”

Rossi said just three extra chews can become the basis for better habits.

“Count the next time – literally count how many times you chew [your mouthful of food] – and then add three extra chews,” she said.

“And then, every meal, focus on the first two bites while having the extra three [chews]”, Rossi continued. “And then if every two weeks you can add an extra chew or two, then in six months, you’re going to have a pretty good number of chews.”