Healthy RGV Issue 113

FITNESS & BEAUTY · APRIL 2018
SLOW EATING
Your mother always told you to slow down and enjoy your food
when you were young and eager to go out to play with your friends,
but did you know there are actual real benefits to slow eating?
Taking your time promotes better digestion, better hydration, great
satisfaction with your meals, easier weight loss or maintenance. Conversely,
when you eat too quickly, it can lead to digestion problems, weight gain, and
makes meals less palatable and the experience of eating less pleasurable.
You’re probably wondering how
you’ll ever find time to slow down
and eat. With everyone in the family
on different schedules, it can be
incredibly tricky trying to figure out
how to get from one activity to the
next. How you eat is the last thing on
your mind when you can’t remember
when was the last time you actually
had something to eat. But when you
consider all the health benefits of
eating slowly, it might be worth the
time and effort to take your time.
When you eat too fast, besides
the very real possibility that you
could end up choking on your food,
you’re also not giving your brain
time to catch up with your food
consumption and could throw
your system out of balance. How
do you know that you’re full if you
stuff food into your mouth without
thinking? The reality is slowing down
your eating will help you to avoid
overeating.
In order for your body to achieve a
sensation of fullness, two things have
to happen. One is the hormones
that signal to your stomach that you
are full must spring into action. The
other is that the stretch receptors in
your stomach have to expand fully.
If neither of those
factors occur,
your body (brain)
has no idea that
it’s reached its
maximum capacity.
If those factors become
faulty (i.e., when ingesting
food at rapid speed), you
invite the overconsumption
of calories and create
unnecessary digestion issues.
These issues lead to gas,
indigestion, weight gain,
bloating, cramps, and a host
of other issues. Long-term it
can lead to significant weight
gain.
Eating too quickly also
doesn’t allow enough time
for your stomach to fully
digest the food. Food can
become lodged in your
stomach, or even worse, can
be aspirated in the lungs.
Eating slower eliminates
many if not all of those
risks. It allows you time
to thoroughly enjoy your
meal and get all the proper
benefits of eating better
for your waistline and your
stomach. Take the time
to savor every bite and
thoroughly enjoy a good
meal.
Take in the atmosphere
and avoid unnecessary
distractions. Slow down,
have a pleasant conversation,
relish in the moment, pay
attention to your tablemates,
and know that what you’re
doing will not only make
your stomach feel good,
it gives you much-needed
respite in your busy life.
By Vanessa Jackson
23 HEALTHY MAGAZINE