Slowing Down And Enjoying Our Food in A FAST-PACED World
2024 is full swing and many have already started working on their New Year’s resolutions. Getting back on track, losing weight, eating healthier, are just a few of the more popular resolutions. What we often forget to think about is how we actually eat our food, not just which food we choose.
Don’t get me wrong, the type of food we choose has a huge impact on our health. However, how we consume our food can have a drastic impact as well.
We live in a FAST-PACED culture
Take a minute to think about the last thing you ate. Do you remember what it was? How about how it tasted, the texture of it, the smell of it, how it made you feel? Chances are you can remember what it was, but the rest may be a blur.
It’s actually pretty common for people to forget what they ate just yesterday and much of that is connected to how we eat our food. We live in an on-the-go culture where time is money, and we overbook our schedules.
Just take a look at how many places have drive-thrus in your area. From restaurants to liquor stores, we’re so busy that if it doesn’t have a drive-thru we won’t go there. In fact, there’s been several businesses that have closed in my area due to not having a drive-thru.
We’re a fast-paced culture and it has changed how we eat. Food has become something we consume for calories and curb our hunger. We grab whatever we can and slam it down instead of taking the time to enjoy it. There are several issues with this type of eating.
We don’t chew well leading to possible digestion issues.
The brain doesn't have time to alert us that we are full, resulting in us eating more than we need.
We don’t take the time to enjoy the food we are eating, leaving us unsatisfied.
Slowing down and enjoying your food
When we eat food it’s important to take your time to really enjoy it, every time. If we ate only for calories, we could eat plain simple food and not think twice about what we want for lunch or dinner.
By slowing down and taking the time to appreciate the food we chose to eat we can increase the overall experience. All you have to do is take the time to enjoy each bite and chew well. When we chow down our food we miss out on the flavors, texture, and overall experience of the food we chose.
When we take our time to eat our food and appreciate each bite several things happen:
We eat less since we get the maximum experience from each bite. This allows us to fully enjoy the food and register that we actually ate it, leaving us satisfied.
It allows the time needed for the brain to communicate with the gut that we are full. This allows us to stop eating before we get overly full.
Chewing is the first step of digestion and is crucial to the whole process. By taking the time to chew well we allow the rest of our digestion system to do its job more effectively and reduce GI issues.
It brings out the many complex flavors and textures in food that we often miss out on and find ourselves adding salt to make up for it.
You can test how the speed of eating can change our perception of food by trying out this comparison.
Take your favorite candy, chocolate bar, or dessert. Set two small pieces in front of you.
Eat the first piece quickly and try to think about something else besides what you’re eating.
Eat the second piece slowly, letting the candy, chocolate, or dessert dissolve in your mouth. Take the time to savor it and pay attention to the textures and flavors of the food. Make sure to focus only on the food you’re eating and nothing else.
Once done, compare the two experiences.
After eating the first piece did you feel satisfied after one piece or feel like you forgot what you even just ate?
After eating the second piece how did this change? Did you feel more enjoyment from the food and feel more satisfied with just one piece?
This test shows us how slowing down and being present and aware of the food we’re eating can increase the overall experience of the food and satisfy our cravings with less.
So the next time you sit down to eat or have a craving for a certain food, take the time to enjoy the meal or food. You’ll be happy you did.
Written by: Adam Skowyra MPPD, RDN, LD
