Every culture has some sort of folk lore suggesting that one should eat slowly. The usual line of reasoning for eating slowly often is this: it improves your digestion and elimination. However, there is more to it than that. For one, it takes around 20 minutes for the brain to start noticing that you are eating and release satiety hormones. If you eat very fast, you will most likely end up eat a lot more than needed. Second, eating fast could lead to faster spike in insulin in the body. Third, it could lead to weight gain and consequential health issues related to excessive weight.
A recent study published on BMJ (Open) indicated that slow eating could possibly lead to weight loss. Other studies have suggested that eating slowly (also called Mindful Eating in the context of mindfulness practices) could cut down the risk of diabetes or help self-manage the diabetes.
So next time you sit down to eat, practice mindful eating. Take a moment to appreciate what is on the plate and go slightly slower in consuming it. Take a moment to notice the color, shape, texture of the food before you put on your palate. On palate, let the food register for itself in the form of taste. Then chew it slowly, remembering at the same time that it is going to nourish and strengthen my body and will encourage healthy eating and likely help you in weight loss over the period of time. As it is said, weight is significantly related to our food habits and intake quantity.
Try it next time while eating. Even if you are in company, taking a moment from conversation to appreciate what is in your mouth can be enriching experience per se. Or try it when you are doing on the go. You might hit some surprises on your palate.
