Yummy gummy

When my brother Jeff became a man at the tender young age of 13 (Bar Mitzvah! Woo!), a family friend bought him stock in Wrigley. As in, the gum people. And so, every year around Christmastime (irony?), he would receive a large box of spearmint or wintergreen sticks, along with a statement showing him how his $100 investment had grown that year. It was always an exciting time at the Goldman household because, I mean, free gum. Then my mom would toss a few packs into the candy drawer in the kitchen, turning all M&Ms, Swedish Fish and pretzels into mint-tinged versions of their former selves.

To this day, I still really like gum - especially when someone offers you a stick of a cool new brand and you get to pluck it from their pack or poke it through a foil pouch or (and this hardly ever happens any more but when it does, I freak out) unwrap an entire chunky piece of bubble gum. Because if somebody is willing to give you an entire piece of their five-piece pack, that means they like you 20% more than anyone else. Duh! But did you know that chewing gum can actually be healthy for you? Sure it freshens your breath (though personally, my breath smells like cotton candy and sugar plum fairies, even post-garlic bread) but sugar-free brands like Orbit (love their Mint Mojito), Eclipse and Extra recently gained the ADA’s Seal of Acceptance, meaning they’re clinically proven to help fight cavities, strengthen teeth and reduce harmful plaque acids. Those funny British “Dirty Mouth?” ads are just an amusing bonus.

Other fun benefits of chewing the sticky stuff:

*It can improve concentration and focus - so much so that the U.S. Armed Forces have supplied chewing gum to soldiers ever since World War 1. Also, remember how Michael Jordan (mmm) used to always be going to town on his gum? THAT’s why he was such a slam dunk pro! There's science to back this up: A research study conducted at the University of Northumbria (my safety school) showed chewing gum while performing memory tests appeared to improve people's ability to learn, retain and retrieve information.

*It burns calories. Mayo Clinic research shows that just moving your jaw up and down incinerates 11 calories per hour. Not a lot, but for a talented Chatty Cathy like myself who can walk, talk and chew gum at the same time, it basically means Wrigley is a better friend to my waistline that Weight Watchers.

*Gum also helps, diet-wise, by diverting your attention away from higher calorie snacks. It’s nowhere near as fun or tasty to bite into a Twinkie if your mouth tastes like mint. And on the Wrigley web site, I found a 2007 study published in the journal Appetite which found that chewing gum prior to an afternoon snack can reduce hunger, diminish cravings for sweets, and decrease snack intake by 36 calories.

* It eases tension and stress, making you feel as calm and serene as this chick. And if you only need to see you therapist every other week as a result, that means gum can save you about $3600 per year in psych fees (I’m speaking hypothetically, of course.)

So be sure to toss a pack or two onto the conveyer belt the next time you're checking out at Target. Also, gum is a fun stocking stuffer! Stay tuned to Weighting Game for some fun holiday gift ideas coming up...heh, heh, heh...

Comments

I lovelovelovelovelove gum! But I've always wondered about the artificial sweeteners in a lot of them. Chewing the sugared variety seems counterproductive but I really try and avoid Splenda, aspartame and the like. How do you chews?? (hee.)

I was thinking about doing a post on faux sugars, Charlotte! Good thinking...

You certainly brought back a few memories on chewing gum. As a kid, one of the best tasting experiences was to stuff a whole pack of Juicy Fruit in my mouth and go at it until my jaw hurt. I tried the same with the other flavors but that was my favorite! As time progressed and teeth started to disappear, some replaced by modern technology, most of the products had the affinity of aggressively attaching themselves thereto. FREEDENT, a miracle gum dealing with that enigma, captured the market for those dentally altered souls hell bent on gnawing chicle. I pass this trivia along to those who may wish to offer a stick of gum to an 'older person' and not be offended by having them politely refuse...because it is the "gluey" kind. oxoxoxoxo

Firstly please say youchew gum with your mouth closed. Oh my god those people who keep chewing gum with their mouths open aaaarggghhh!!! drives me demented. such bad manners!!!!
secondly chewing gum while dieting is not always a good idea their are also studies that show that chewing gum stimulates your saliva which in turn swallows to your belly & tells your belly that you are chewing and therefore food is on the way. your stomach then begins to produce food digesting enzymes for the food that never arrives. you then feel hungry.

As a kid, one of the best tasting experiences was to stuff a whole pack of Juicy Fruit in my mouth and go at it until my jaw hurt.