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Julio Arrieta
Madrid
Friday, 25 October 2024, 13:35
A great philosopher once said that “there is elegance in going slow.” Elegant? Yes, and for some things, it is also healthy. This is the case with food. The modern-day pace of life is fast and is often accompanied by stress and anxiety. So we transfer these elements to our food intake.
If we deal with a meal in a matter of minutes, say under 15 to 20, treating it as though it were an annoyance between our work duties, then we certainly have a problem, a bad habit that is not easy to solve. If we gobble down our food instead of eating slowly, “in addition to causing gastric discomfort or oesophageal reflux, we can have problems with abdominal distension and discomfort from stomach gases,” advises Cristina Bedmar, associate professor in health science studies at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC - Open University of Catalonia).
It is no coincidence that there is a lot of advertising for medicines that stop gastric reflux and soothe heartburn. These are remedies that eliminate an immediate discomfort but they do not solve the underlying problem, they only alleviate the initial symptoms. Bedmar points out that the effect of eating poorly in record time, eating with both hands, taking big bites and barely chewing the food a couple of times can lead to ailments related to weight gain such as “cardiovascular diseases, being overweight or obese.”
“Eating more quickly can lead to eating more,” adds the nutrition expert. Why? Because “we don’t allow the satiety signals informing us that what we have eaten is enough to arrive in time. We eat more food than we really need, thus increasing the risk of gaining weight.”
A little-known fact is that the body takes about 20 minutes to send those ’Full’ signals to our brain.
Chewing too quickly or not chewing at all and swallowing food whole also causes digestive problems, not to mention the risk of choking. In 2022, according to the latest available data from the INE (Spain’s national statistics institute), accidental choking caused 3,546 deaths, of which 11% were due to ingesting food. Not chewing any raw foods well like carrots, apples or nuts, or eating pieces of fish or meat without paying attention to what we could be swallowing – small pieces of bone, for example – can lead to accidents of this type.
Bedmar recommends eating slowly, highlighting all its benefits: “It helps us to better perceive the flavours in our food and to enjoy the moment and, more importantly, it allows us to identify signs of feeling full in time.”
Chewing is an important process by which food is broken down to form the bolus, that round ball of chewed-up food before swallowing. It is the important first step in the entire digestive process, which “starts in the mouth with the secretion of the first enzymes.” “So chewing food well will allow us to facilitate the following steps that will take place in the stomach,” says Bedmar.
Mindful eating supports this way of eating. This practice helps us identify the real levels of hunger we have before a meal so we can limit the foods we put on the table to help the brain better judge when the stomach is full.
“The act of mindful eating helps us to become aware of the act of eating, to eat without distractions, without rushing and focusing on what we are doing to help establish healthier eating habits and have greater sensory awareness of food,” states this UOC academic.
And does the speed of intake also affect sugar levels?
There is not enough consistent research to confirm that there is a direct relationship between the speed of intake and sugar levels and diabetes. The types of food you eat – raw, cooked, whole grain, with or without fat and so on - can determine how fast you eat, how quickly you digest it and how much sugar you release into the bloodstream. “You won’t have the same glycaemic response from drinking 200 ml of juice as you would from consuming the same amount of sugar in the form of two whole oranges, or if you drink the juice while eating wholemeal bread and cheese.
1. Eating foods that require the use of cutlery. Foods that are eaten with the hands, such as sandwiches, or that are drunk, such as a vegetable smoothie, tend to be consumed more quickly. Eating with wooden chopsticks is also a way to start slowing down the speed at which we eat.
2. Eat whole, raw foods with meals. Including these types of foods in meals, such as fruit or salads, requires more chewing to swallow.
3. Avoid distractions, especially screens. Television and smartphones, among others, transform eating into an automated act where we don't pay attention to any signals.
4. Eat in company. Whenever possible, it is advisable to eat with family, friends, work colleagues, etc., because it helps to become aware of the moment and, at the same time, to socialise with our environment.
5. Separate food from work in terms of time and space. Avoid eating in front of the computer because your attention will remain focused on work and it will be difficult to concentrate on food.
6. Find free time just for eating and plan meals. In this way, you can ensure quality time for eating and, at the same time, prepare meals with necessary food groups (vegetables, proteins such as legumes, fish or white meat, wholegrain farinaceous foods and fruit).
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