Slow Down: 5 Good Reasons to Start Eating Slower
Wherever you are, take a look around you. If you're in a crowded area, you'll probably notice a few people eating in inappropriate places. One lady is juggling a briefcase and a bag of chips, another is bent over a computer screen frantically trying to reach deadline. They look frazzled, annoyed, and ready to pass out. Hardly anyone is sitting at a table or taking in each bite with fevered gratitude, and frankly, most of them look super rude in the process. The worst part of it? They are probably damaging themselves in the process of grabbing a quick meal-time fix.
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With the world we live in operating on high-speed, you almost can't blame a person for not taking the time to eat slowly. How could they? With the evolution of technology, we are constantly plugged in and pressured to answer emails, phone calls, texts, and review reports at any given time. Eating is the ultimate multi-task activity, so naturally that is where the extra work time is squeezed in. Aside from missing out on quality meals, eating too quickly can cause an unbelievable amount of issues -from obesity to poor digestion. While they may seem like obvious repercussions, did you know that your mental health, social stability, and teeth are also at risk with every hastened bite you swallow?
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When the world is telling you to go, go, go, your internal clock is telling you to stop and savor the flavors with these reasons to eat slower.
Reduces Acid Reflux
Heartburn after a great meal completely negates any happy sensory experience you had while eating. When stomach acids enter the esophagus and are left untreated, they can lead to serious medical consequences - narrowing of the esophagus, bleeding, or increased risk of developing esophageal cancer can occur. This could all be avoided if you opt to eat a little more sluggishly. Researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, S.C., instructed 10 healthy volunteers to finish a meal in five minutes or 30 minutes on alternating days. They found that those who took 30 minutes to eat experienced fewer episodes of acid reflux than the speed-eaters.
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Promotes Weight Loss
While we already know that eating slower helps prevent overeating, research also indicated that those who did eat fast were more likely to be obese. There is also a lot of research that suggests that weight-loss success is based around a doable lifestyle choice. Cutting junk foods out entirely puts some dieters in a position where they are more likely to fail - completely succumbing to temptation. Eating slower allows one to savor junk food a bit, allowing consumers to feel fully satisfied by their little treat.
Promotes Social Interaction
Europeans are known for their long feasts and spending hours at the dinner table, whereas we Americans down a coffee and doughnut on our 15-minute car ride to work and call it breakfast. Planning meals with friends and savoring not only the food but the conversation allows you to interact with your buddies. Putting the fork down between chitchat and setting boundaries while eating takes the focus off of hunger and puts it back on the people you're dining with.
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So You Can Drink More Water
The benefits of drinking water are endless - from better skin to healthy weight loss. However, drinking the recommended amount of water a day - eight 8-ounce glasses - is pretty hard to do when you're eating so fast you can hardly come up for air. Eating slower and taking pauses between bites helps you consume more water, and in turn reap all of the benefits of this wonder liquid.
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Strengthens Teeth
Your pearly whites will thank you for not putting them through abrupt, harsh food grinding and they'll also thank you for helping them become strong. A key component in eating slower is throughly chewing your food. While we already know that saliva helps your food break down more easily for digestion, it also helps strengthen tooth enamel. Chewing slowly allows you to create more saliva in your mouth and since eating slowly helps prevent acid reflux, this is a win-win for your teeth, as acid reflux is one of the leading causes of enamel erosion.
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-Lauren Gordon, The Daily Meal
