Slow Down and Savor

Hello, and welcome to lesson four of mindful eating. Today, we're going to discuss how important it is to take your time when you eat. Can you remember the last time you really slowed down, and enjoyed a meal? How about the last time you ate while in a hurry, not realizing what you ate, how much you ate, or even how it tasted? Well, if you're more familiar with the latter, you're not alone. It's estimated that about 75% of us eat too fast. Research indicates that it takes about 20 minutes after eating for the body to register the feeling of fullness. So this means more often than not, we have eaten and gone on to the next thing before giving our bodies a chance to realize how full we are. This delay makes fast eaters more likely to overeat, because they aren't giving the belly enough time to catch up, and say it's had enough. And studies also show that people who eat slower tend to think they've eaten more than they have, so they stop eating sooner. In other words, slower eaters are less likely to be overeaters. Slowing down gives you time to notice, and savor your food, which then helps you feel more satisfied. And when you're satisfied, you stop eating before you reach that point of discomfort. So, really slow down the next time you eat. It might help you if you put your fork or spoon down between bites, pause, and take a breath. If you are eating with friends or family, can you talk and listen without having your fork in your hand the whole time? Notice how much more you can savor, and pay attention to the signs of fullness. Slowing down is not easy, but like anything else, we get better the more we practice. Neither eating nor life is a race to the finish line, so take your time to enjoy the journey by slowing down....