That's a fact, Jack!

Did you know?

Fact:  It takes TWENTY minutes for your brain to have time to process that it first saw food, then smelled it.  Then chewed, tasted and swallowed this food.  A full TWENTY minutes later, your brain will have had the time it needs to signal to your stomach that it has food in it, and it just MIGHT be full and need NO MORE FOOD.

Are you a fast or slow eater?  How long does it take you to finish your meal?  

The next time you sit down to eat, glance at your watch.  Then when you’re done, look again.  Did it take you less than 20 minutes?  If so, do you still feel hungry? Did you go back for seconds or nibble on whatever is in front of you (or off someone’s plates?)  If it took you more than 20 minutes, did you ultimately stop eating because you were full and wanted no more?

The benefits of taking your time to eat are many.  Digestion is so much easier when your food is mixed with plenty of saliva, which is added by chewing.  The risk of choking on food chewed well is way less than it is when you chew a mouthful 2 or 3 times then try to swallow.  You actually take in less air when chewing thoughtfully than when you gulp food down, which means less air in your stomach.  (Air in your stomach comes out, one way or another...) and yes, you will become acquainted with the sensation of fullness.  If you recognize full, the next logical signal will be to recognize hunger.  What a surprise!

I don’t really have any pearls of wisdom to pass on if you need to slow yourself down.  I’m hardly one to talk, because I don’t eat slowly.  I can offer what sometimes works for me.  For example, if I notice someone around me that is way behind me (as in, I’m nearly done and they’re just beginning) I set my pace with her.  I take smaller bites.  I try to chew more times.  I try to switch from my default left side teeth to my right.  I try to chew more slowly.  I try to put my fork down between bites or to take a sip of water in between.  Unfortunately, though, if I’m eating at my desk at work, or with my even-faster-eater Joe, my nature returns and I am finished before I know it.

If all else fails and you are utterly unable to slow down, one old school trick to keep yourself from overeating is to drink a cup of hot tea about 20 minutes before you eat.  This sort of fools your brain into sending the signal that you’re not completely empty and you only eat the appropriate amount.

Just one more step to realizing the habits that make you YOU.  How can you fix what you don’t know needs fixing?

PS  It’s Friday as I write this, and I’ve got that little feeling in my stomach the weekend brings!  How AWESOME is it that every WEEK has a built in break?