Ok, I know how it gets; you nibble on this and that throughout the day so that you can save up your appetite for that awesome dinner at the new hotspot restaurant. Come six hours later, you are ravishing everything on your plate and barely giving yourself time to gasp for air in between bites.
Or let’s say that you have long periods of time in between meals – maybe you are super busy throughout the day and don’t even think about what you will put in your stomach next. Breakfast, lunch and dinner come and go in about 2.5 minutes, and you don’t even realize that you ate a whole foot-long sandwich with a bag of chips because you were too hungry to walk one more block to Panera to get a salad.
Slooooow things down a bit, hungry people; the food isn’t going anywhere and you can actually hurt your metabolism and waistline by rushing through your meal. Want to know how you can actually accelerate and maintain weight loss by taking the time to savor and cherish every bite? Well let me tell you.
1. Better Digestion
You should count to 15 while chewing each bite. Why? Because when you break the food down in your mouth first, the enzymes in your stomach can do a better job breaking down what is left. This leads to better digestion, which leads to more toxic output … or “bathroom breaks” (wink wink).
2. More Satisfaction
When you take the time to focus on what you’re eating, it will lead to more satisfaction and less cravings. Really center your mind on the flavors you’re experiencing. After your meal, you will be more satisfied because you actually tasted what you were eating instead of by-passing that sensation to fill up your stomach.
3. You End Up Eating Less
When you eat slower, you naturally end up eating less because you give your brain the time to tell your stomach that it is full. If you rush through a meal, you can end up over-eating and then suddenly you feel overly stuffed. That is never a good feeling!
4. Increased Mindful Eating
When you focus on what you’re eating and center that time around the flavors and the experience, you will end up making healthier choices. Take some time to actually consider what you are ingesting, and if you are eating something processed, think of the chemicals and added fillers that you are putting inside your body as you chew. With natural foods, know that with every bite comes nutrients and illness prevention of some sort.
So, as you start your day with breakfast or lunch, and when you end it with dinner, take some time to slow down and enjoy, process and think about what you are eating. Meals should be a ritual for keeping your body and mind healthy, and your internal system will thank you for it!
Here are some yummy recipes you may want to experiment with. Easy to make, yet they will fill you with satisfied tastes and smells.
• Vegetarian Lasagna Skillet
• Tabbouleh Salad
• Mini Lasagna Bites
Sarah Baker is a holistic health, nutrition and Image consultant focused on bringing vitality and balancing to her clients. Her consulting practice, Style Body Soul LLC, offers numerous programs suitable for various lifestyles, and her blog; Balanced Babe, focuses on nourishing recipes and daily tips to leading a vibrant fulfilling life.
31 thoughts on “Mindful Eating – Don’t Scarf Down Your Food. It’s More Important Than You May Think”
I needed this reminder. I’ve noticed that I getting less mindful with my food and at the same time gaining weight.
This is important for me to start doing. I eat so fast i know it is unhealthy.
This is something I always try to tell my husband about eating too fast. He always scarf down his good.
I really need to take your advice and tips on this. Sometimes I go all day without eating because I’m so busy and eat a lot fast during the evening.
I try really hard to be mindful of how fast I am eating.It is a bad habit I have had for most of my life, so its hard to break. But, I keep trying.
This is always hard for me to do. I always scarf down my food.
This concept makes perfect sense. Most people end up overeating because they eat to fast. It takes up to twenty minutes for your stomach sends the signal to your brain that you are full. Plus, eating slowly let’s you savor the flavors.
I have a very healthy, mainly vegetarian diet however, one of my main faults is that I eat WAY too fast!!!
Ooooo those mini lasagne bites sound good. I do need to be more mindful when I eat.
I know I need to slow down my eating. I swear I eat fast because of public school cafeterias! lol
I have learned that taking little bites, savoring your food, and eating slowly – it really does give your brain time to register when you are full. Does wonders to combat overeating.
Heheh I have this issue all the time! Being a total foodie I can’t help but shove food in my mouth lol… Always end up overeating:-/
My husband and I were just talking about this. I am so bad about eating my food much too quickly.
You do eat less when you’re mindfully eating. And that has huge benefits in more ways than one. 🙂
OMG I already know I eat my food too fast. Especially if I’m really hungry or trying to enjoy it before the kids show up. lol
When I am mindful of what I am eating, then I always eat better.
I agree people should scarf down their food! Its better to eat in slower to aid better in digestion!
I completely agree with eating slowly to improve digestion. My problem is I eat too slow and I’m always the last person in the restaurant eating.
#3 is very important. It is reported that the mind works together with taste to help tell you that you are full, which helps with over eating and of course health.
I enjoyed the post.
You have a great day.
My mom always tells me to chew my food well and to eat slowly. This is great information.
Many years ago a friend taught me the 19 second rule…to chew slowly for 19 seconds as it does help digestion! Thanks for sharing your tips today!
Such a great article, learn good tips. Always eat slow and enjoy meal..
I think when we have babies we learn to eat really quickly because who knows how long they will be happy lol. Then it carries over even when they are older. Thanks for the helpful tips!
These are really good tips! I stay so busy that I tend to eat really quickly but I need to slow down and be more mindful of my eating.
This is what my mom always used to say! If you’re taking the time to prepare nice food you should take the the time to enjoy it.
I have to admit that I do everything wide open, including eating. Seems I’m always in a hurry. I do need to slow down some. Sometimes I count my chews to make sure I’m eating slower.
I have always been told to eat slowly so your stomach knows when it is full. So I have taught my kids to eat slowly and enjoy their meals.
Eating too fast not only prevents you from feeling how full you are and enjoying your food. It’s also not the greatest for your digestion.
I’m always telling my kids AND my husband to slow down. You’d think they were starving!
Well this is great to know. I don’t usually scarf down my food but often eat in a rush, so this is interesting to know and will help me slow it down a bit!
I always tell my husband to eat a little slow as he is always eating so fast. He was trained that way in the military so it’s hard to break the habit.