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Once food is ingested through the mouth, your body turns into a chemical factory: each bite will be diluted, dissected, digested and discarded according to a precise genetic program. Teeth and saliva will break down chunks of foods to get them down your throat into your stomach. The stomach's acid turns the foods into a liquid mass, absorbing some of the nutrients. The liquid mass is now transported into the small intestines, where it is further broken down by juices from the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas (all of which play a crucial a role in digesting and absorbing food and drinks). Every bit of energy and all useful nutrients are taken out of the food and are put to work either immediately or stored for future purposes in fat cells. The unused or "non-digestible" parts of food are pushed through the large intestine and discarded from our bodies.
How much and what kinds of food you prepare and eat, greatly impacts not just your taste buds but also your digestive system. And both contribute greatly to your overall well-being. Too many sweets will make your stomach hurt. When you eat foods which are too spicy or too fatty, you may get "heartburn" (when the stomach acids move up the esophagus causing an uncomfortable burning sensation). Not enough fiber in your diet will cause you to get constipated. Unwashed or undercooked meats or vegetables (potentially containing food bacteria like salmonella or e-coli) may cause major stomach upsets or can even make you really sick. Some of you may be allergic to milk, nuts, wheat gluten, certain fruit, shellfish, etc., which means that your digestive system cannot absorb these ingredients and you may get truly ill (or even die) when consuming these allergens.
There is a "right way" of eating which can cause great pleasures and a "wrong way" of eating which can cause great pain. More about that in the article about "Mindful eating."
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