A dilemma many of us face in our every day lives is that we are constantly rushing throughout the day without having time for anything … and when we have a moment to eat something, we devoured it. It’s not good people need to eat slower. Eating fast can lead to an unhealthy, stressful life.
With the plain but powerful act of eating more slowly, we can start to change this lifestyle right away. You take smaller bites, you chew every bite slower and longer, and you appreciate your meal more.
It only takes a few extra minutes each meal to eat slower, but it can have profound effects.
You may have heard about the Slow Food Movement. It started in Italy nearly two decades ago to counter the fast food movement. Everything that is fast food, Slow Food is not.
If you have read the Slow Food Manifesto, you will see that it’s not only about health but a way of life. Whether you want to adopt this lifestyle or not, there are a few reasons why you should think about eating more slowly:
Better digestion. You’ll chew your food better if you eat more slowly, which leads to better digestion. Digestion in fact begins in the mouth, so the more work you do there, the less your stomach do. This can help lead to fewer digestive issues.
Enjoy your meal. It’s difficult to enjoy your food if it goes too fast. In fact, I think it is OK to eat sinful foods, if you eat a small amount slowly. Think about it: you want to consume sinful foods because they taste good. There’s no point of eating them quickly. If you eat them slowly, you can get the same quantity of taste, but with less entering your stomach. It’s math that works for me. This argument aside, I think you will be happier by tasting great food and enjoying it fully by eating slowly. Make your meals a gastronomic delight, not a thing you do hasty, when you get a few moments of time.
Less stress. Paying attention to our diet and eating slowly, can be a great form of mind training. Be in the moment, rather than rushing through a meal thinking about what to do next. When you eat, you must eat. This kind of attention is believed to lead to a less stressful life and long term enjoyment. Try it out.
Lose weight. A growing number of studies show that just by eating slowly, fewer calories are consumed – in fact, enough to lose 20 pounds a year without doing anything unusual or eating anything different. The reason is that it takes about 20 minutes for our brain to record that we are full. If we eat fast, we can continue to eat beyond the point where we are full. If we eat slower, we have time to notice that we are full, and stop on time. Now we always suggest that you eat healthier foods, but if you are considering of losing weight, eating slowly should be a part of your new way of living.
Rebel against fast food and fast life. Our stressful, fast-paced, hectic, chaotic lives – Fast Life – leads to eating Fast Food and eating it fast. This is a way of life that dehumanizes us, making us stressed out, unhealthy and unhappy. We rush through our days, making one brainless task after another, without taking the time to enjoy life, live life, to relate to each other, to be human. If it is not a good thing, rebel against this whole lifestyle and philosophy with the small act of eating more slowly. Do not eat Fast Food. Eat in a good restaurant, or much better, cook your own meal and appreciate it fully. Taste life itself.
