How long do you take to eat a meal? Are you taking the recommended 20 minutes to eat your lunch or dinner? If you are, you are helping with your weight loss success.
Whole Body Reboot is about taking time to enjoy your food and savor the flavors (not just eat a “free for all”). Let me explain some of the science behind the reasoning to eat slower. When we take time to chew our food (a new study recommends chewing food 40 times per bite instead of the average 15-20 times per bite), we suppress the hormone, Ghrelin, a hunger hormone that stimulates appetite. By suppressing Ghrelin, we won’t be as hungry and can feel full faster and, therefore, eat smaller portions. Also, when we take time to eat our meal, an appetite-reducing hormone, CCK, has more time to build up in our system which can allow us to feel full faster. Wow, two hormones working at once to suppress our hunger and help us to feel full just by taking time to chew that food and enjoy our meals.
Are there any reasons why we shouldn’t take 20 minutes to eat? I know there are many excuses out there: we work while eating, we watch TV while eating, we play on the computer while eating, our bosses don’t allow us 20 minutes to eat our meals, our children are fussing while we’re trying to eat, and the list goes on and on.
Final recommendation: Chew The Food (ultimate goal = 40 chews per bite; minimal goal = 20 chews per bite). Put the Fork or Spoon down between bites. Take Time to Breath and Savor the Dish (this also falls along the line of the French Paradox: eating wonderfully delicious foods in small portions where the French take time to eat).
Your ultimate 20 minute rule will be met and help in satisfying your weight loss success.
