Weight loss: Chew your food slowly and practice mindful eating
We lead busy schedules and this time crunch automatically translates
into meals on the go! With a fairly limited time window, we have bad
eating habits and accompanied by an unhealthy obsession to the screens,
we are all guilty of overlooking one important fact- are we actually
being mindful of the food we eat and chewing it properly? If your answer
to this question is a big no, you agree that you tend to gulp down food
like a chore, there is something you should know. According to various
studies, this unhealthy lifestyle habit is costing you a few extra
inches on the waistline!
Studies have established that there exists a connection between the food you eat, your eating speed, the way you eat and weight control. Speed eating, gorging, and binge eating were found to majorly contribute to unhealthy weight gain and shockingly, fast eaters are at a much higher risk of developing obesity and type-2 diabetes than those who didn't.
How should you eat your meal
If you thought only the diet hacks and foods were important, think again. Experts say weight watchers or not, one should ideally aim at chewing their food in a slow manner, i.e., chew it properly for a good 15-20 seconds before swallowing it. In fact, rather than fast eating, one should be thinking of practicing mindfulness, being aware of your eating habits in the daily regime. For the most benefits, each meal should take around a minimum of 20 minutes to finish and no less than that. If you do tend to eat faster, try and alternate the timings or create a space deficit with your courses.
Here's why
When you eat slowly, you are consciously trying to signal your brain that you are full without having to eat more than you actually should. Our appetite and calorie watch are ultimately controlled by our hormones, particularly, ghrelin, which actually curbs and controls our hunger. When you eat slow, the hormone alarms the brain that the intake has been curbed and ultimately, this can help in reducing your appetite. Plus, this eating hack can also make you feel satisfied. Following this mindful trick, you tend to decrease the quantity of food you can consume at a time.
Not just this, digestion, which is at the root cause of obesity and other related problems starts with the mouth. When you miss out on signs there, you risk ruining your health. Your health depends on how well and how efficiently your body is able to absorb the food you are taking in. Incomplete, or fast-paced chewing disrupts the natural digestion process, which in turn, disturbs the sync and flow of stomach acids, creates a bubble of sorts in the stomach and also leads to a host of other chronic problems like flatulence, bloating and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which can all result in unhealthy weight gain. In fact, fast eating can also manifest into a metabolic syndrome, which carries with it bad health problems like blood pressure, cholesterol, and uneven fat distribution, which are not good for weight loss.
Here are a few tips which can help you practice mindful eating and assist in easy and holistic weight loss at no cost:
-Be conscious of the food you are eating. Try and have smaller pieces and bites, which will be easier to chew.
-Impose restrictions in the room or the environment you are eating. It should not distract you from the eating process. Keep phones, TVs, and gadgets away during meals.
-Take another bite only when you have completely swallowed the last bite and the texture(or the taste) has totally disintegrated.
-Hydration is important but be sure that you do not drink water with meals. Only do so when the mouth is empty.
Studies have established that there exists a connection between the food you eat, your eating speed, the way you eat and weight control. Speed eating, gorging, and binge eating were found to majorly contribute to unhealthy weight gain and shockingly, fast eaters are at a much higher risk of developing obesity and type-2 diabetes than those who didn't.
How should you eat your meal
If you thought only the diet hacks and foods were important, think again. Experts say weight watchers or not, one should ideally aim at chewing their food in a slow manner, i.e., chew it properly for a good 15-20 seconds before swallowing it. In fact, rather than fast eating, one should be thinking of practicing mindfulness, being aware of your eating habits in the daily regime. For the most benefits, each meal should take around a minimum of 20 minutes to finish and no less than that. If you do tend to eat faster, try and alternate the timings or create a space deficit with your courses.
Here's why
When you eat slowly, you are consciously trying to signal your brain that you are full without having to eat more than you actually should. Our appetite and calorie watch are ultimately controlled by our hormones, particularly, ghrelin, which actually curbs and controls our hunger. When you eat slow, the hormone alarms the brain that the intake has been curbed and ultimately, this can help in reducing your appetite. Plus, this eating hack can also make you feel satisfied. Following this mindful trick, you tend to decrease the quantity of food you can consume at a time.
Not just this, digestion, which is at the root cause of obesity and other related problems starts with the mouth. When you miss out on signs there, you risk ruining your health. Your health depends on how well and how efficiently your body is able to absorb the food you are taking in. Incomplete, or fast-paced chewing disrupts the natural digestion process, which in turn, disturbs the sync and flow of stomach acids, creates a bubble of sorts in the stomach and also leads to a host of other chronic problems like flatulence, bloating and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which can all result in unhealthy weight gain. In fact, fast eating can also manifest into a metabolic syndrome, which carries with it bad health problems like blood pressure, cholesterol, and uneven fat distribution, which are not good for weight loss.
Here are a few tips which can help you practice mindful eating and assist in easy and holistic weight loss at no cost:
-Be conscious of the food you are eating. Try and have smaller pieces and bites, which will be easier to chew.
-Impose restrictions in the room or the environment you are eating. It should not distract you from the eating process. Keep phones, TVs, and gadgets away during meals.
-Take another bite only when you have completely swallowed the last bite and the texture(or the taste) has totally disintegrated.
-Hydration is important but be sure that you do not drink water with meals. Only do so when the mouth is empty.