Slow Down While Eating

I can say without researching the answer that most people probably eat too quickly; and oddly enough, even though we may be rushing through our meal, it doesn’t actually help us not eat more than we need. When we don’t take our time to chew through our food or take little breaks between each bite, it doesn’t give enough time for the brain to catch up with the stomach. This means you may still feel hungry as soon as you finish a decent portion of food. Remember it takes about 20 minutes for the brain to recognize that your stomach is full and that you are satisfied. Slowing down while eating a meal or even a snack requires awareness. When you slow down to eat, it also aids proper digestion and allows you to chew through each bite. The more whole your food is going into the stomach; the more churning and gastric enzymes are required to break down the food – meaning longer digestion and depending on what you’ve eaten requires more acidic juices in your stomach. This can have you feeling bloated and uncomfortable after eating, not to mention the air you swallow when you inhale your food.

Slowing down to eat might be easy the first time you try it or may be difficult, but one thing is for sure it takes consistency, as this is a new habit you are now formulating. You may find that you naturally eat faster, especially when you sit down and really think about how fast or slow you consume your food, and it will require effort to slow down. You may be wired to eat more quickly because you are always limited on time, or maybe you grew up in a household where you had siblings who would eat your food if you didn’t. Whatever the reason, it can be an ingrained habit, but very much worth becoming aware of and slowing down, so that you eat proper portions and digest your food more comfortably.