Are you a fast eater?
Do you blitz through meals like a chainsaw through soft wood? When you're at work, do you usually eat a quick lunch at your desk? Or even worse, eat breakfast or lunch in the car, on the way to work ot to appointments?
Well, as a reformed fast eater, I can tell you there's a better way. And slowing down your eating could make a big difference in your weight, your health...even your enjoyment of life.
First, let me explain what's happening when you eat fast.
Typically you're eating on the run or at your desk because you are very busy and trying to fit the meal in. So you're under time pressure. Not the most conducive environment for eating.
Eating fast puts tremendous stress on your body. When you gulp down your food, without really tasting or enjoying it, you mess with your digestive system.
More importantly, you're stressing yourself to the point that your body actually begins to release stress hormones, such as cortisol. This does three things.
First, it slows down the digestive process. Second, it slows down your metabolism. Third, it increases the amount of insulin in your bloodstream causing your body to deposit more fat from the calories you are taking in.
What a triple whammy on your body! Add in the indigestion you are likely to experience as you rush to that next meeting....it's definitely a recipe for eight gain and stomach problems.
If you're eating in such a way as to decrease your metabolism and promote
fat storage, then you're likely to a gain weight.
Excess weight can exacerbate other health conditions. And it makes it harder to get in gear and exercise to control or reduce your weight.
Eating quickly also causes major digestive problems. In fact, it's estimated that eating too fast is a major cause of acid reflux disease, or GERD.
A little factoid here: did you know that digestive aids and stomach relief medicines are the number one type of product sold over the counter in the U.S.? They sell more of these than they do painkillers.
What does that tell you about the stress that we are under - or more correctly,often put ourselves under.
Acid refluz is an incidence of inflammation in your body. Remember, inflammation is systemic: where there's smoke, there's fire. Inflammation in one part of your body can lead to inflammation elsewhere, such as heart problems, arthritis...even Alzheimers.
If you are interested in losing weight, or improving your enjoyment and quality of life, do like the French do: slow down.
Set aside the time to actually sit and enjoy your meals. Even if you can't do this for every meal, try to take more time more frequently. See how many meals per week you can eat in a more relaxed manner.
And free yourself from the chains of your desk. Yes, oh corporate hard charger, you CAN go out to lunch once in awhile. Or take your sandwich and drink outside to a park bench and soak up some sun while you are
dining.
Here's one more very important thing you can do, even when you don't have a lot of time for your meal.
As you begin to eat, take 5 to 10 deep breaths. And try to take some deep breaths while, and immediately after, you eat.
This will naturally and quickly relax you, allowing you to enjoy your meal. It will limit or eliminate the release of stress hormones. And it will literally ncrease your metabolism, so your body will more efficiently process and use those calories.
You'll burn more of what you are eating as energy. Your body will have less reason to deposit those calories as fat.
Trade fast eating for deep breathing....and see how much better you feel as you go through your day.
You Can Do It!
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