A chewy solution to snacking

March 5, 2009   2 Comments

If you choose sugar free gum, or close to it, you have a snack that won't wreck your teeth or your waistline. You can stop the desire to put something fattening in your mouth and it can be a pretty good experience. As long as you are not hungry, chewing gum is a good alternative to food.

There is anthropological evidence that humans have been chewing on a form of gum for 5,000 years. Wow. (They found some old gum stuck to a cave roof :)

Is chewing gum good for you? There is evidence that chewing gum actually reduces stress. The United States gave it to the army in 1935 to help relieve tension. So, the next time you feel stressed out, try a piece of gum.

Finally, what exactly is in chewing gum? Well, it is a form of rubber. Can you imagine chewing on the bottom of your Nikes? Anyway, it is an old wives tale that it takes 7 years to digest a piece of gum. It moves quite quickly through your digested track, and is eliminated with all the other waste. I'd still spit it out rather than swallow it.