Slow down, you’re eating too fast…
…you got to make that meal time last… just
kickin’ down the cobblestones…
Oh wait – that’s not really the way Simon and Garfunkel wrote it.
But if they could see how fast we eat? Maybe they would have written those lyrics instead.
Eating too quickly is one of the leading causes of overeating. It takes twenty minutes for your stomach to register the food you eat and send the “I’m full” message to your brain. If you are wolfing down your meals in less time than that, you are probably eating more than is necessary to satisfy your hunger.
Force yourself to slow down. Good, healthy food is one of the true pleasures in our lives — savor and enjoy!
Maybe you need a few tricks to help you slow down.
- If you’re right-handed, eat with your left hand, and vice versa.
- Cut your food into small pieces, and eat your meal one morsel at a time.
- Chew each bite 30-50 times. Saliva is the first step in digestion – give it a chance to work.
- Put your silverware down between bites.
- Take a sip of water between bites. Just a small sip.
If you slow it down, and listen to your body, you’ll find that don’t need that second helping.
