Child, don’t sling like that! Eating slowly has been taught to many of us from an early age. But why? We clarify: Eating slowly actually has health benefits. We reveal which ones.
That’s why eating slowly is healthier
People have less and less time and are constantly under time pressure. This also has an effect on the food: people eat faster and faster, and that has consequences. We explain why slow eating is so healthy and what else you can do wrong when eating.
There are a few reasons to eat more slowly. In the following we will tell you what they are.
Nutrients are better absorbed: Actually quite logical: If you are slower, you chew your meals more thoroughly. The better your food is chewed, the more digestible it is. The nutrients in well-chewed food can be better absorbed by the body because digestion begins with chewing: food and saliva are mixed in the mouth during chewing. There are enzymes in the saliva which already begin to break down the meal. Also, the slower you eat, the better prepared your stomach is to digest incoming food, so your body conserves energy as well. Eating slowly ensures that your body is getting everything it needs.
Less digestive problems: If you eat slowly, you produce more saliva. As already described, this relieves the stomach of work. When you decongest your stomach, you reduce the risk of abdominal pain or other digestive problems. In addition, when you eat quickly, more air is swallowed, which can lead to flatulence.
More enjoyment: Not only wine develops its full aroma only when you keep it in your mouth for a while. Even with some types of vegetables, the full aroma is only unfolded after half a minute by the oral bacteria, as researchers from Switzerland found out. As a result, slow eaters also have an advantage in terms of taste. In general, if you eat more slowly, you will enjoy your meal more. So the slower you eat, the more enjoyable your meal will be. That fact alone is worth the time investment, right?
Relieve Stress: When you just focus on your meal, you forget the stress of everyday life for a while. Concentration is a good keyword: many people do exactly that wrong. Anyone who watches television, surfs the Internet or reads a magazine while eating not only loses the sensuality of eating, but also loses the meditative effect of eating. Despite your habit, try not to do anything while eating. You will quickly notice the effect.
Weight Loss Through Eating Slowly Now let’s move on to what is probably the number one reason many people eat slower: weight loss. In fact, if you eat slower, you lose weight. Japanese researchers from Osaka University found that people who eat quickly are almost three times as likely to be overweight as slow eaters. According to studies from the University of Rhode Island, a slow meal consumes about 10 percent fewer calories than a fast one. Read here: Eat slowly to lose weight. There is also a simple reason for this: our brain only notices that we are full after about 15 to 20 minutes. So if you eat too fast, you often eat more than your body needs and thus gain weight quickly. By the way: Eating slowly is also easy on the wallet. Someone who eats slowly eats 10 percent fewer calories and needs to buy less food accordingly. This is quickly noticeable in the supermarket and especially in the restaurant.
