Weight-Loss Wednesday VII: Say no to fast food – eat slow food!

In our day and age we are always trying to do things fast. Work faster. Think faster. Do everything faster! (Here is a useful video on things faster) We tend to even want our food faster. DON’T! We all know the pitfalls of fast food but I would like to focus on the slow food movement. It’s simple:

Eat your food slow.

That’s it! Slow down and enjoy your meal. This small, simple change can make a huge difference in your weight. It takes time for your stomach to notify your brain that it is full. When you eat slowly you stop eating closer to the time you should so you consume fewer calories. This can cut calorie consumption by over 100 calories a day, or 1-2 pounds per month. That could be 20 or so fewer pounds to worry about per year!

Here are some tips to slowing down while you eat:

· Listen to your mother; chew your food. Work your way to chewing 20-40 times before swallowing. Not only does it slow down the pace you eat but you also increase digestion efficiency, allowing your body to use more nutrients.

· Ignore your mother; don’t clean your plate. Stop eating if you feel full but still have food. The extra caloric consumption will do you no good.

· Take a break between bites. As you chew your food, put down your fork or spoon. After you swallow, take a sip of water. The extra water will do you good anyways.

· Wait ten minutes before going back for seconds. Personally I’m surprised how often my appetite disappears during that time.

· Don’t eat while watching TV. Pay attention to your food. Enjoy it. Savor it! When you pay attention to the TV you can easily slip into a mindless binge.