HABITS

ANCHOR HABIT

Eat Slowly and Mindfully

A tool you can use anywhere, anytime
We don’t always have control over what foods are available to us. But we always have control over how quickly we chew and swallow.
Think of slow eating as the low-hanging fruit of nutrition: super accessible in any situation.
It doesn’t require specialised meal plans or a food scale.

No matter what’s going on in your life, or what’s on your plate, you can practice eating slowly.

The benefits of slow eating include better digestion, better hydration, easier weight loss or maintenance, and greater satisfaction with our meals. Meanwhile, eating quickly leads to poor digestion, increased weight gain, and lower satisfaction. The message is clear: Slow down your eating and enjoy improved health and well-being.

This habit moves us one step ahead from “ what we eat” to “ how we eat”

This habit will help us

• Learn what “hungry” and “full” feel like
• Digest and absorb nutrients better
• Reduce binge eating episodes

How to do this ?

Drink a glass of water before every meal
Set a 20 minute timer
Breathe

• Before you eat, pause. Take one breath.
• Take one bite. Then take another breath.
• Take another bite. Then take another breath.
• Go one bite, and one breath at a time.

Add just one minute : Stretch out that meal as long as you can. Then try to make your next meal last one minute longer.

Put down the remote / phone : don’t eat while you drive, watch TV, or play with your phone. Sit at a table, not on your living room couch, and for heaven’s sake, don’t eat standing in the kitchen. Try to relax and experience your meal

Pace it out : Between bites, try:

• setting down your utensils
• taking a breath (or three)
• taking a sip of water
• asking someone at the table a question

The whole point is to pay attention to your food and body. So, over the next 2 weeks, do your best to eat in a calm environment with minimal distractions.

Why does speed matter ? 
Because when you wolf down your food, you take larger bites and chew less.
Your stomach has a harder time mashing those big chunks of food. Your food isn’t properly broken down it can cause indigestion and other GI problems. We may absorb fewer nutrients, depleting ourselves of valuable vitamins and minerals.
Besides making you uncomfortable (maybe even miserable), shoddy digestion can also affect your mindset and leave you feeling bloated, burpy and sluggish.