IF YOU DO ONE THING THIS WEEK . . . EAT SLOWLY
DO YOU clear your plate long before anyone else does at the table? Does the sight of Homer Simpson inhaling his food between mutters of ,“Can’t talk, eating”, strike a little too close to home?
Consuming food quickly can lead to overeating – but why? Your body uses a complex system of feedback and “satiety” signals to control appetite, and the rate at which you eat can have an effect.
A study last year in Italy looked at the difference in 17 people who took either five minutes or 30 minutes to eat a bowl of ice cream. Consuming the food slowly resulted in the body producing higher levels of appetite-suppressing hormones.
While taking half an hour to eat ice cream might seem extreme, the findings still highlight the difference that wolfing down your food can make to your appetite.
To halt your gallop while eating, aim to put down your fork between bites, savour the food and try to avoid having meals or snacks while distracted by the TV or reading.
