The Speed at Which We Eat
Unless you’re Joey Chestnut, the world’s current number one competitive eater, speed eating may not be doing you any favors. Have you ever measured how long it took you to eat your meal? Admittedly, I have not, however, I have found becoming aware of how quickly I eat and consciously slowing down has been one of those seemingly small shifts that has made a big difference. When I eat slower, I consume less, I don’t wind up uncomfortably full and bonus…I allow myself to really savor my food.
While my own experience was validating enough for me, the coach (and the nerd) in me was curious about what type of data existed around the impact of the speed at which we eat. What I found further supported my personal findings as well as additional benefits. Simply slowing down the pace we eat can lend itself to what I mentioned previously and it can also aid in digestion and help lower the risk for Metabolic Syndrome. (If you’re wondering about this last one, see my earlier blog.) Let’s dive in a little more on each of these areas.
Say good-bye to that overstuffed feeling - This directly relates to the previous item. When we allow our brain to catch up with our stomach before overfilling it, we can avoid that moment of regret when our waistline challenges the limits of our waistband.
Consume less calories - You might have heard it takes roughly 20 minutes for our brains to catch up to our stomachs. Our stomach releases hormones like ghrelin and leptin to signal our brain we are hungry or full and there is a bit of lag time between the signal being sent and being interpreted by the brain. By eating slowly, we allow our brain time to receive the signal and thus feel full on less food.
Increase the enjoyment of your food - Yes please! I love food and the idea of raising the level of enjoyment without excessive intake is very appealing.
Improve digestion/prevent indigestion - One of the common causes of indigestion is overeating or eating too quickly and it can be quite uncomfortable. In slowing down the rate we eat, we will naturally chew our food more which makes it easier for our bodies to process. Just to be clear, I don’t abide by chewing your food 20 times before swallowing. I’ve tried it and for me it was gross. However, taking the time to chew it more than 2 or 3 times leaves me feeling a lot better.
Reduce the risk for metabolic syndrome - This one seems like the golden egg to me. According to this meta-analysis (this one is for my fellow nerds), eating slower could have significant, positive impact on central obesity (waist circumference), blood pressure, fasting blood glucose as well as cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
BONUS: Eating slower may help with weight loss. According to this article from Healthline, speed matters. You may have already concluded weight loss could be a benefit of slower eating based on the other items listed but I wanted to put it out there.
So now that we’re excited about these benefits of eating slower, how do we actually put it into practice? Some of us may have been raised in a family of speed eaters, the whole “whoever eats the fastest gets the most'' comes to mind, whereas others may have developed the habit later in life as a result of the job or daily demands. Regardless of the reason, it is possible to unlearn the habit. Here are some cues that have worked for me.
Hit the pause button before eating and take notice of how you’re feeling. If I’m feeling anxious or stressed, I know I need to be extra intentional about slowing down.
Take the time to prepare a plate or bowl.
This may be telling of how fast I’ve been known to eat, but completely chew and swallow the bite in your mouth before putting in the next one.
Avoid entering the “hangry zone”. For those of you not familiar, this is that stage where patience is thin and you are ready to eat whatever looks vaguely edible.
5.
Take 4-5 deep breaths with a slow exhale before you even begin eating. (If I’m going to do one, this is the one.)
So if you’re looking to make a change to your eating habits and are feeling overwhelmed by all of the diets out there and “eat this, don’t eat that” recommendations, this might be a nice place to start. No counting calories or eliminating foods—simply slowing down can offer some significant benefits.