"The more you eat, the less flavor; the less you eat, the more flavor."
Chinese Proverb
"A man may be a pessimistic determinist before lunch and an optimistic believer in the will’s freedom after it."
Aldous Huxley
I like to eat slowly. A meal takes thirty minutes or sometimes an hour. But pretty often I forget about this. So I thought I’d write an article about it to keep as a reminder. Something to take a look at whenever I get caught up in stressful eating. Here are three good reasons to eat slowly.
1. You get to really feel the different tastes and textures.
Eating can become a lot more pleasurable if you slow down. If you just wolf it down you never notice nuances in taste and texture. It’s like trying to appreciate the nature, the light, the colors, the beautiful surroundings while driving really fast.
Also, I like how the textures and tastes shift as food becomes less hot.
2. You reduce the risk of overeating.
It takes about 20 minutes for your brain to register that you are full. That’s because the food has to reach the intestines before your body starts sending signals telling your brain that you feel full. By slowing down your eating your brain can stop you before you eat too much.
3. You reduce the risk of getting an upset stomach.
Eating too fast can lead to digestion problems. It can also lead to you feeling more stressed throughout your day. Something that can also cause stomach problems, headaches and other health problems. See your meals as a time and place where you can take it easy and de-stress your mind and body.
How to do it.
Three simple tips that I have found useful are:
Eat before you get ridiculously hungry.
If you’re really hungry it will be hard to eat slowly. The best way to avoid this is to not wait for too long but to eat when you feel just a little hungry. Or to have your meals at specified times during the day that you know from experience will be appropriate to avoid getting too hungry.
Put down your fork between the bites.
The classic advice is to put down your fork and then chew. Then to pick up your fork again after you’ve swallowed, take another bite and repeat the process. I like this tip because it forces you to slow down. Instead of taking that stressed energy from your day and just letting it power through the meal too as you quickly wolf down everything on your plate.
Focus on the food and yourself. Not on what other people are doing.
It’s easy to get drawn into someone else’s pace while eating (just like when driving or running). Be conscious of keeping your own pace instead of just unconsciously eating as fast as everyone around the table might do.
Being aware of this challenge can help you. Being present throughout your meal can also be useful to keep a good pace and fully enjoy the food.
You can find a few simple ways to reconnect with the present moment in this article.
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