If we ever needed proof that HOW you eat is as important as WHAT we eat, we need to look no further. A new study just came out in the journal “Nutrition” that links eating speed with the increased likelihood of developing metabolic syndrome, independent of total energy intake and BMI.
Metabolic syndrome is a detrimental group of indicators which include elevated blood sugar, increase cholesterol or triglycerides, increase blood pressure, and belly fat that leads to systemic inflammation. It is often the precursor and can lead to type two diabetes, heart and kidney disease, cancers, dementia, and autoimmune disease. Nearly 38% of adults in the US have metabolic syndrome.
Consider some of these strategies for eating more slowly:
- Chew your food to liquid, and chew your liquid like food.
- Pause before eating to say grace, or have a moment of quiet, simply to calm the sympathetic nervous system and increase your ability to secrete digestive enzymes.
- Eat in a relaxed manner so that you can better digest and assimilate your food.
- Savor the taste of each bite.
- Avoid reading or talking while eating so that you can focus on the activity of eating. Obviously this is not always possible but try it occasionally as a practice of eating more mindfully.
Let this be one of those small daily changes that improve the quality of your life in the long run.
Be Well,
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