Three Reasons You Need To Be Using Chopsticks

Lowers Glycemic Index (GI) of Food

One of the biggest health benefits of using chopsticks is that it lowers the Glycemic Index of the food we eat.  The GI (Glycemic Index) is a method of measuring how certain foods increase blood sugar levels.  The lower the GI the better for your blood sugar.  When using chopsticks we are forced to be more mindful and precise.  This leads to smaller bites and typically we end up chewing more thoroughly.  When this happens the GI of the foods we eat lowers, and thus we tend to have healthier blood sugar levels.

They Can Help with Coordination

Using chopsticks has been shown to help our brains develop more thoroughly and can actually improve our coordination skills.  When we use chopsticks we have to be present in the moment in order to use them correctly and actually get the food in our mouths.  In turn, this makes every meal an exercise for your brain.  In particular, having your children use chopsticks is extremely beneficial.  Teaching young children how to use chopsticks can help develop their hand eye coordination.

One of the best reasons to use chopsticks is because they greatly reduce the risk of choking.  As discussed earlier, using chopsticks forces us to take smaller bites and eat more mindfully.  In addition to lowering the GI of your food, this can also dramatically reduce the chances of choking.  Because the bites we take are smaller and more mindful we are much less likely to choke and simply just enjoy our food.

Furthermore, because we take smaller bites with chopsticks we are also less likely to be bloated after eating.  When we eat fast and take large bites we allow more air into our bodies which in turn can lead to painful gas.  Using chopsticks helps avoid this.