Don’t be concerned about eating less of something, just eat it slower.
Some people when they are feeling unhealthy, overweight and bad about themselves, think, “I’ve got to stop eating cookies/candy/my favorite chocolate bar/icecream/chips/______(insert your food vice).” Can you relate?
However, if you deprive yourself and say “no cookies, no cookies, no cookies,” I bet all you can think about right now is cookies.
When I became a health coach, I didn’t stop eating chocolate. I started eating higher quality chocolate and something amazing happened. When I ate a high quality chocolate bar, I noticed I would chew it slowly, let it melt in my mouth, and close my eyes trying to savor the taste. We all know higher quality usually means higher price and I wanted to enjoy my money’s worth! When I chewed slowly and savored it, I found I was actually satisfied sooner and ended up only eating a couple of bites.
After practicing becoming more present with what I was putting in my mouth, this started to happen with whole meals, as well as, desserts. The more you become fully present with what you are eating, the more you chew, and the more satisfied with less you’ll be. It takes your body about 20 minutes for your brain to register that your body is receiving nutrients and thus releases a hormone signalling your stomach is full and satisfied. If you are eating on-the-go or rushing through your meals, you have a greater chance of eating too much before those signals can be released.
So, how do you eat slower without being bored out of your mind?
Try these four steps:
- Smell. Bring the food up to your nose. Notice what memories it brings. What do you smell?
- Taste. Start biting into it very slowly. Notice that the tongue decides which side of the mouth it’s going to chew on. Is it sweet, salty, bitter or sour?
- Texture. As you continue to chew, the tastes change as does the consistency. At a certain point, the texture overrides the taste of the food.
- Pause. Put your utensil down between bites to help you better concentrate on chewing and enjoy every single bite you take.
Your healthy challenge for the week: Notice when your spoon has turned into a shovel. Try these four steps, slow down, and become aware of the present moment. You’ll have a greater chance of being more satisfied with less food.
