PE:
> Tom, I think Fletcher (of 'fletcherizing,' a fad of yore) started the
> idea of thoroughly chewing food till the last bit of taste was gone,
> then swallowing it. He demonstrated great strength and endurance in
> tests.
>    His idea was, interestingly, distorted into compulsively chewing
> each morsel exactly 32 times, once for each tooth, which seems quite
> the opposite of what he advocated.

I don't remember the details, but the facts are approximately:
Fletcher had a serious illness (maybe a digestive problem). After
having changed his way of eating (chewing every bit, until he didn't
even have to swallow because the food was completely melted), his
condition improved greatly and he showed great endurance while
eating very little food.

However, he died prematurely (before 60?). BTW, he was a cooked food
eater.

Anyway, a few remarks:

1) It is not natural to chew excessively

2) Chewing can help to bring your attention toward food, but you
can also do it by habit

3) It is quite possible that paying attention to the act of eating
can help digestion (the body preparing the enzymes, the hormonal
response). Pleasure and relaxation are important to have a correct
production of hydrochloric acid and for the stomach to work properly.
The sight and the smell of the food, previous to the meal, can be
like a signal (cf. Pavlov's dogs).

Bon appetit,

Jean-Louis
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