Most of us eat quickly and may not even notice how quickly or how much we are eating, and many times, even what it is on the plate! Here are some suggestions from health professionals to help you slow down. After each bite put your fork or spoon down for a minute rather than keeping up a nonstop motion. This way you eat, chew, taste, swallow and then pick up the utensil again. You experience each part of the process. When you chew and swallow, swallow your mouthful before taking another bite rather than loading your utensil and preparing to eat while still chewing and swallowing. Relax before beginning to eat with breathing exercises, prayer, meditation, something light to read, or music. Get yourself calm to begin to eat. Use courses for your meals rather than all on the table at the same time, which allows for additional relaxation and breathing time. Use a timer. Take a little break once or twice during a meal by talking, sipping a beverage, or just sit listening with hands folded. Studies have indicated that music listening while eating helps to slow down eating. When you are preparing food for a meal resist tasting some until you are seated at the table to eat. There can be no accounting for how many of these tastes add up to a meal in itself! Eat sitting down. Often people eat standing, in the car, on the run and are not even aware of this food as part of their daily intake and therefore are not accounting for it on their diet plans. Make a meal a pleasurable event. When you eat your brain will receive signals from your body, stomach and intestines to let you know you are full. However, it takes about 20 minutes for signals to travel from your lower body to your brain, so that eating too quickly can mean you eat extra food, mouthfuls, calories more than your body needs before your body is ready to give you the full signal. When you eat relaxed and leisurely, your brain will be able to register when you are full so that you can stop. Enjoy your food with your senses. Your body sense of satisfaction are shown in research to be aided by taking the time, the awareness, the mindfulness of your food to experience it with your sense of smells, textures, appearance, taste sensations.
Posted on: Wed, 04 Dec 2013 11:10:33 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015