 Slow eating
by Janani Amarasekera
Niluka was popular as a
fast-eater. She hardly took time to enjoy a meal. Even at dinner
outings, she was the first person to finish the meal and was never
contented with the amount she ate. Therefore, day by day her portion
sizes kept increasing and ate a lot between meals. As a result, she
gained more weight. Not only Niluka, many fast eaters experience these
problems.
In our everyday life, food plays a major role. Eating healthy food
and eating in small portions and from the right speed is very important
to lose or maintain weight. When we are consuming a meal, our brain
takes about 15 to 20 minutes to receive the signal of a full belly.
According to this, if you are a fast-eater, controlling portion sizes
will be easier said than done.
Thus, by the time the brain of a fast-eater receives the signal of a
full stomach, they have eaten double their proper portion sizes. In this
way, even without their knowledge, they eat more and as a result, gain
some weight. Hence, it is obvious if you eat slowly because by the time
the brain receive the signal you might be just finishing your exact
portion size. It is important to remember not to be the first one to
finish at the table.
Chew bit by bit to be in control
Good chewing habits lay the foundation for good eating habits and
digestion. Taking some time to chew what you eat is the first step in
good digestion process. Fast eaters have a greater possibility of
swallowing their food instead of chewing. To avoid this always eat in
small bites and chew it thoroughly. Appreciate the taste and the texture
of the food.
When you sit down to eat, forget all your work. Try to enjoy every
bite of your meal. Best way to slow down your eating speed naturally is
to take time to chew. It also gives you a great feeling after the meal.
What is your eating speed?
A family lunch or a dinner is not an eating competition, but
according to the eating speed of your family, you can measure what is
our speeding rate is. If you are the last person to finish a meal, you
are a slow eater, but on the other hand, if the meal is over within five
to seven minutes definitely you are categorized as a fast eater. Always
try to keep the speed at a moderate level.
Some tips to slow down
Practice
If you are in a habit of eating faster, you must try to get rid of
it. Breaking a habit is not child’s play. Hence, you really need to
concentrate on the way you are eating. Chew every bite to enjoy the
taste of it.
Portion sizes
When the plate is clean, it signals the brain that the meal is over.
Thus, go for small portion sizes rather than large ones. This helps to
prevent the risk of over eating.
No multi tasking please!
Multi tasking ability definitely makes a man or a woman a successful
person. However, it is definitely that theory can not be incorporated at
suppertime. Multi tasking at suppertime may lead to unhealthy eating
habits.
Many of us are in the habit of watching TV, reading books or papers
while eating. Despite many forms of advice from our parents, we still do
it. This habit takes our concentration out from the plate, making us
overeat.
Have a conversation
 Having a conversation while eating is usually considered ill-mannered
but you can use this bad habit for a good purpose. Start a conversation
with your friends while eating. This will slow down your eating speed as
talking and eating cannot be done at the same time.
Don’t eat when you’re starving
When you are hungry, you tend to eat faster. Have you ever noticed
that we get hiccups while eating after being hungry for a longer time?
That is because we eat faster than our tubes can handle. However,
eventually the situation will get the better for you and you will end up
hungrier than you should be. Always have a healthy snack with you to eat
when you are hungry. It can be a packet of plums or a banana.
Dim the lights
Surroundings can have a big influence on our mental state, and dim
lights or candles make the ideal mood for dinner. Dim lights stimulate
an inner serenity and make it easier to slow down. On the other side, be
careful when eating under bright, fluorescent lights as they can
encourage overeating.
Play soft music
Do you have any idea why restaurants have fast beat music? They want
us to eat faster and leave the place. Then, they can attract more
customers. In the same manner, slow, mellow music helps to slow down our
eating pace.
|
