Take your time, you are at the dinner table, not in a Formula 1 race! Many people eat their meals in record time. A time-saver, certainly, but not without consequences for the body. Here's what happens if you eat too fast...
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The minimum time for a meal
At mealtime, whether breakfast, lunch or dinner, it is recommended that you take your time, between 20 and 30 minutes. Indeed, below 20 minutes, it is possible that the feeling of satiety is not 'transmitted' to the brain. This means that you will still feel like eating even though the quantities were sufficient. The ideal is therefore to eat, small, well-chewed bites to feel full, and therefore digest well.
If you eat in a hurry, with little chewing and large bites, you may feel some changes in your body. There are the consequences of eating too quickly.
Poor digestion
Unsurprisingly, a meal eaten too quickly may cause you some digestive problems. If you eat quickly, you don't have time to chew. If food is chewed poorly, it is harder to digest when it arrives in the stomach. If your stomach hurts after you eat, it's probably because you ate too quickly, and in too big chunks.
Great fatigue
Poor digestion means fatigue. In fact, your body will expend a lot of energy to get through those big bites taken in a few minutes. Poor digestion will certainly lead to a great phase of fatigue. The solution here does not lie in drinking coffee, but in the time you devote to your meal.
Weight gain
If your meal lasts only 10 minutes, it is unlikely that you will feel full, that is, that you have eaten enough and in good quantity. You will, therefore, tend to feel hungry, even though you have just finished your plate. You will automatically set your sights on a second dessert or a second serving. It's weight gain guaranteed!
Our tips for eating slowly
If you have been used to eating quickly since childhood, it is not easy to adopt a new ritual and to eat slowly. Here are a few tips on how to do this:
- Put your fork down between each bite.
- Prepare yourself beautiful plates, you'll want to take your time.
- Take breaks to talk with people at the table, and eat when the conversation is over.
- Eat raw: raw foods require more chewing than hot, cooked foods.
- Drink water throughout the day, this will regulate satiety and help you to avoid rushing to your plate.
