For the past month, I have been taking advantage of Facebook to encourage people to participate in weekly challenges that promote better eating habits. I have received positive feedback from many who have been brave to join me. We cut down on sugar during the first week; we added two extra glasses of water to whatever amount of water we were having per day on the second week. During the third week, I encouraged people to follow my favorite rule of bread: to have two slices per day, if any. Last but not least, during the fourth week, I challenged people to enjoy every single meal while taking their time to chew thoroughly. It is hard not to rush through meals in this fast paced society we live in!!

Although I will be having more challenges for you throughout the year, and believe that every single one is important, I want to focus on the fourth one I mentioned: eating slowly.

What are the benefits of eating slowly and why is it important to touch on this subject? Well, let me illustrate a typical day for most Americans. You wake up and have just enough time to get ready and get your children ready. You either grab a granola bar or just a cup of coffee. If you do attempt to have breakfast, you either inhale it or you don’t finish it. For lunch, you grab whatever may seem easier to eat at your desk or on the go. This meal does not even get a glance from you. You don’t even realize you took your last bite and you are left wishing you did not eat too fast. Then, you get home and for sure you are starving, so you eat at a super speed and then have seconds. Has it happened to you? I see it happening every day around me and so it has become a challenge for me to educate on the subject.

Eating slowly has many advantages to it. Digestion begins at the mouth. There are special digestive enzymes in the saliva that promote the breakdown of starch into sugar, in addition to stimulating the digestion of fat. If those two were the only benefits to eating slowly, trust me, it would still be worth it. However; there are many more positives to this neglected healthy tip.

Your brain takes about 20 minutes to recognize that you are full, so the slower you eat, the less calories you will consume. Your brain will send a signal to your stomach indicating that it is time to stop eating and if you have been eating slowly, you will not overeat. You will also feel satisfied and will be less likely to eat again sooner. If you take the time to go and sit at a table away from any type of work, or away from anything that would distract you from your meal, you will feel less stressed and will actually enjoy the taste and smell that a great healthy meal offers. Do you rush through your newspaper, your favorite T.V show, or through your web surfing? Then, why do you rush through meals? Make time for them! Another benefit to eating slowly is that you will be less likely to get heartburn or unnecessary gas.

Making this small lifestyle change can mean positive results for your health. You will start losing more weight, you will always be satisfied after a meal, you will make healthier food choices, and you can even enjoy a peaceful time away from all the demands of life. Food can be a way of distressing positively if you do it the right way and in moderation.

Next time you are about to take a bite think about all the benefits that eating slowly can offer. Take a seat, relax and enjoy your meal.