Losing weight is all about getting the

Calories in < calories out

Standard advice to improve the calories out, is to move a bit. 

But researchers from University of Rhode Island report that you don’t have to move all the bits, just move the mouth a little more, to get a bit of a calorie benefit.

Continuous chewing stops regular chewing

Volunteers were assigned to either chew gum all morning or just keep the jaw still (talking was still allowed just no munching).  The continuous crushing, gnawing and chomping had a knock on effect on chewing for rest of the day.  It decreased – which translated into fewer calories in.

On average the chewers consumed 67 calories less at lunch.  They didn’t undo the positive effect, by gorging at dinner time either, so they ended the day with fewer calories going in.

Most of the participants reported that the morning chewing session left them feeling a little less hungry than normal.  Some even felt a little more energetic.

The physiology of chewing gum

Chewing gum is “working” the formula in favour of those looking to lose or maintain weight.

The very act of grinding the little piece of gum in your mouth is making those jaw muscles work and burning calories. But there is a further benefit, the nerves in the mouth get excited, believing that the mouth activity is due to mouthfuls (many of them) landing in your mouth.   The nerves send a quick message to the brain about all the activity.  The part of your brain which controls appetite interprets the signals as “We are full !”

Add chewing gum to your to-do-list

You don’t actually have to chew non-stop.  The morning chew-a-thon in the study involved three 20 minute sessions. 

You don’t even have to pick up the pace and feel the burn.  Just pop a stick (preferably a low sugar variety for maximum effect) and jiggle it up and down until it has no flavour left and feels like a lump of rubber.  Dispose of it (nicely, don’t stick it under a chair).  And start your next piece of gum.

67 calories doesn’t sound like a lot but when you’re trying to get rid of those extra pounds, every little bit helps.  And chewing gum is far less painful than a workout at the gym.

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Further reading

How to painlessly activate the self control muscle	Stop blaming fats for making you fat, the obesity problem is in grains	Could your salt intake be making you fat ?

The 7 Big Spoons™…. are master switches that turn health on.

Balance Eicosanoids	Rein in insulin	Dial down stress	Sleep !	Increase Vit D	Culivate microflora	Think champion

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