As you might have heard, there are benefits to eating slowly. In some countries it’s common to sit around the table with the family and eat and drink till late in the evening. While this would be the ideal situation, most of us don’t have the time to sit around a table for hours. Generation Y is a fast paced generation and would like to do thing as fast as possible. So sitting around a table for hours is a big no-no.
To reap the benefits of eating slow you don’t have to spend hours for your lunch or dinner. All it will take you is roughly 20 to 30 minutes. Because it takes the brain about 20 minutes to realize you’re full, it a good idea to eat slowly. So next time try to eat a bit slower and try to enjoy your food, even if you are in a hurry.
No negative effects
Can you think of a negative effect of slow eating? Well, I can’t. Eating slowly has only benefits and you’re about to read some of them.
Lose Weight
A great benefit of slow eating is weight loss. Because it takes your brain about 15 to 20 to realize you’re full, it’s recommended you eat slowly. While you are slowing down, you might find that you learn to stop eating sooner. A growing number of studies confirm that just by eating slower, you’ll consume fewer calories — in fact, enough to lose 20 pounds a year without doing anything different or eating anything different.
Enjoy your food
In the introduction I mentioned you should enjoy your food. Sometimes life flashes by you and you forget to enjoy the easiest things in life, such as your food. Try to enjoy your food, taste the spices in your food, smell your food, you can even touch your food and feel what it’s like. Just because its “just food” doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it.
Less stress
By eating slower and paying attention to your food, you can reduce the stress you have. Just like when you’re enjoying your food, be in the moment. Don’t think of things you’ll be doing after your lunch or dinner. When you’re eating, you should be eating and not thinking of something else. The moment you enjoy the smallest things about eating, you will reduce some of the stress you’re having.
Socialize
First imagine you racing through your meal within minutes, only do to the next thing you had in mind. While you’re eating, all you do is pay attention to your food. You’re not enjoying it, you’re not enjoying the moment. All you do is finishing your meal as soon as possible. Now imagine you sitting at a table accompanied with some of your friends, some family members just talking about stuff. While you sit at the table, you take your time to eat, to enjoy the moment and socialize with your friends and family. Which of the scenarios would you prefer?
Prevent indigestion
Eating too quickly may cause acid reflux. Gastrooesophageal reflux is when the stomach contents (e.g. food, stomach acid and other digestive juices) travel back from the stomach into the oesophagus. This causes a burning pain, often called heartburn.
Many people get gastrooesophageal reflux occasionally, especially after large meals. If it happens frequently or causes severe symptoms, it is called gastrooesophageal reflux disease. You can reduce the risk GORD by eating smaller meals and taking your time to eat. Don’t rush it.
Improved digestion
Digestion is the process by which the body breaks down food into smaller components that can be absorbed by the blood stream. Digestion begins in the mouth. After the mouth, the stomach continues to break food down. By eating slower, thus chewing more on your food, you’ll give your stomach a head start and more time to digest the food. Large chunks of food is harder for the stomach to digest and can cause indigestion.
Sources: USA Today Post-Gazette PudMed Central Bupa
May 31st, 2008 at 6:32 am
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May 31st, 2008 at 2:11 pm