Does Eating Slowly Help You Lose Weight?

Makes chewing a mandate

Chewing food multiple times is a clear way to slow eating. But did you know energy intake and chewing are correlated? While there is not much information that can link slow chewing with reduced body weight, there are studies that prove this could be true.

A study was conducted among 64 dentate individuals. They consumed test food across five portions. Their chewing cycle, duration, and swallowing were considered. Their age, weight, and gender were other determining factors. The results suggested that chewing behavior does determine body weight status.

Since chewing more times slows down eating, it also makes us feel satiated with smaller quantities. This, in turn, can support weight loss when consuming nutritious food with limited calories.

Aid digestion

Digestion does not begin when the food moves to our stomach. It is a chain reaction that begins when we smell food or think about it. From salivating to putting the food in our mouth, to chewing and finally letting it go down our food pipe, our brain actively assists the process of eating in this way.

Saliva has enzymes and moisture that help break food and makes it easy to swallow. As food reaches the stomach, it starts secreting acid while the small intestine prepares for peristalsis.

Now when we eat fast, our glycemic index deals with digesting quicker. You might not feel it, but you force down food when your body is not ready to endure.
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How to eat slowly and mindfully?

Now that you know the slow eating benefits let us find out how you can put it into practice:

Take 30 minutes out for big meals

We have three main meals every day – breakfast, lunch, and dinner,

Lunch time can be hectic if it coincides with the work schedule, but mindfully taking the time to eat is imperative.

According to a study, the hormones from our gut take time to send signals to the brain to confirm satiation. When you eat fast, your brain also gets a delayed signal.

•   Mindfully chewing each bite or keeping your fork every time you take a bite can help.
•   Dinner dates are perfect examples of following a slow eating technique. You engage in conversation after each helping, allowing you to eat slowly.
•   On the contrary, talking too much while eating must be restricted. It can promote mindless munching and choking.

Take small bites

If the quantity of food you put into your mouth is excessive, your teeth will immediately try to break it down. The chewing activity will become restrictive and difficult.

•       When taking small bites, you reduce the quantity and allow the mouthful to have enough space for chewing.
•       It forces you to slow down the process, and you can count the number of times you chewed to improve digestion.

Enjoy your food

If you have enrolled in our 28-day weight loss plan, this new change will make you adapt to several habits. As you take small steps to make a huge difference in your diet and lifestyle, you should pause and enjoy the process.

While we work for sustenance, our schedules often make us compromise on the little joys. Eating a meal should be joyful as we offer our body the nutrients required to keep going.

It does not matter if the meal is part of a diet or an occasional dessert indulgence. When you don’t give enough time to make every bite enjoyable, it doesn’t serve the purpose.