As unbelievable as it may seem, there have been various studies flying around, claiming that the speed at which we eat at, can have a dramatic effect on our Body Mass Index (BMI).
The scientific key to this claim is that when you eat too fast, it does not give the nerve endings in your stomach time to register the food. When this happens, you will continue eating even after you are ‘full’ but your body hasn’t had time to tell you that you are.
If you are an inherently fast eater, then there are many tips and tricks that you can employ to help you slow down.
One of the quickest ways to put the brakes on, is to swap your utensils over. Using your fork in your non-dominant hand will mean that focus and concentration will be needed for every mouthful. This will work, however, as with most things, it will be easy to overcome this and get used to using the other hand. The majority of hunger pains are actually dehydration, but the body isn’t sure how to convey this message, as a lot of moisture is actually absorbed from the food that we eat. In order to combat this at mealtime, try sipping water between mouthfuls, this will help keep the body hydrated throughout the meal, cleaning up any mixed signals.
Looking outside of physical solutions, stress can be a huge factor to the speed of eating. If you have just been on the Treadmills at the gym, or had to rush home from work, then you need to relax. Relaxing before a meal will reduce the feeling that you need to eat quickly. Meals should be a calm time, when you can interact with others, and enjoy your food. Being calm and eating slowly should come hand in hand, so it is worth taking a minute before sitting down for a meal.
The final tip is based on what you actually eat. If you eat chillies and pepper, it will shock the body into realising that you are eating. This will speed up your metabolism and also the rate in which your body realises you are getting full.
Overall, the speed of your eating doesn’t seem like it would affect your calorie intake. But research has shown that it can increase a meal by up to 80 calories (due to overeating). The above tips are just a guideline of what you can do to help yourself slow down. The best solution will be concentrating on what you are eating and making sure that you take your time, this is a sure fire way to change your attitudes permanently and make a real difference to your eating habits.
Written by Gykmkit UK; Europe’s leading suppliers of new and used gym equipment for sale