Eat slow

Think about your last meal. Where did you eat it? Probably in front of a screen, are we right? Whether it’s breakfast while you’re checking Mail on your iPhone, or a quick lunch in front of your desktop at work, or your evening meal sat on the lounge watching TV, it seems that we’re always distracted while we’re eating.

We very rarely take the time to savour the textures and flavours of our food. We don’t even chew it properly! We’re either in a rush, distracted or, we don’t have the inclination actually to enjoy our food.

Aside from the fact that we do not appreciate our food, eating quickly also means we eat too much. By shovelling the food in hastily, we’re filling up with extra calories before our brains even realise what’s going on and tell us to stop.

Studies have shown that when slowing down our eating, we’ll consume fewer calories. In practice, this often means losing weight – just by eating slowly!

It’s all about allowing the signal from our stomach to make it to our brain. This takes about twenty minutes, and be honest here, when was the last time you ate a meal that lasted longer than twenty minutes?

Let’s get back to taking joy in our food for a moment. When we eat slowly, we relish in the experience of eating. No distractions, screens or otherwise. We enjoy the food in front of us rather than gorging on it.

We’ll also experience better digestion as when we eat slowly and mindfully; we chew more. Did you know that digestion begins in the mouth? Chew more, and the rest of your digestive system will thank you.

We now know why we should be eating slowly, but how do we put this into practice?

Some helpful hints to encourage you to eat mindfully

• Switch off the screen, TV, phone, laptop or otherwise. Also, avoid eating on the go – walking or driving. Pay consideration to your food.
• Put down your knife, fork, spoon or chopsticks between bites and carefully chew each mouthful. Don’t put more food in your mouth till it’s empty!
• Choose the company of a slow eater. Or, better yet, share these tips with friends and family so you can change your habits together.
• Try eating more high fibre foods that take a longer time to chew. Like fresh vegetables and fruits.
• Close your eyes while you’re chewing. Take note of the mouthfeel of your food, the smell and the taste. Enjoy each bite.
• Take time out to eat. Block out time for meals on your schedule. This means taking a lunch break away from your desk and eating dinner away from the TV.
• Don’t beat yourself up if you forget yourself and begin to gobble down your food. Old habits are hard to break. Be kind and give yourself time to adjust to this new way of eating.
• Order your meals from CHEFGOOD to save time in the kitchen, giving you more time to enjoy your food and eat mindfully.