By eating slowly, you will be in full control of your food intake. It takes 20 minutes from the time you start eating until your brain gets the message from your stomach that the food has been consumed. During those 20 minutes, if you eat fast, it is possible to devour a large amount of food, much more than you need. If you have always eaten fast, it will take a conscious effort to eat slowly. Here are some ideas to get you started.
1) Have a drink (non-alcoholic) before starting the meal; this will slow it down and at the same time fill it with fluid. Water, plain or sparkling, is ideal, but tea or even a cappuccino is the way to go in the colder months. Enjoy the drink while everyone is busy with the bread basket. It will take the edge off your hunger, so you can relax and enjoy your meal.
2) Start with a course that takes time to eat. A salad containing lettuce, arugula, cucumber, bell pepper, onion, and carrot needs a lot of chewing. Hot soup is a good choice because it cannot be consumed quickly; try a chewy variety, such as beans or chunky vegetables. When you’re done, you’ll be satisfied and can take your time with the next course, or maybe not even bother with it all.
3) Cut a small piece of food, put it in your mouth, and then put down the knife and fork. Chew well. Do not pick up the knife and fork until you have swallowed the morsel. Now cut another small piece and do the process again.
4) Focus on your food and make a conscious effort to register the taste of everything you put in your mouth.
5) You can’t eat and talk at the same time, so get involved in the conversation at dinner. Chatting with friends and family over a meal transforms it from a refueling stop into an enjoyable social occasion. Try to be the last to finish, not the first.
6) Take five. Simply slowing down, simply pausing for 5 minutes between courses, gives your body a chance to say ‘Hey, stop it!’