The simple act of slowing down your meals can help you maintain or lose weight, improve your digestion and increase your enjoyment of eating.

Life is frequently hectic and eating a meal can often feel like an obligatory nuisance. We tend to eat distracted, either on the run or in front of a TV or computer. Most Americans eat too quickly, finishing meals in under 10 minutes. The problem is that we end up not enjoying our meals and eating more than our bodies require. This results in poor digestion and weight gain over time. 

What Happens When We Eat a Meal

Every time we eat a meal, our gut releases two hormones, peptide YY (PYY) and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) that signal satiety to the brain. It takes about 20 minutes for the hormones to release their signals. The new weight loss drug, Ozempic, that is all the rage for diabetics, is a GLP-1 agonist, meaning that it mimics the effects of GLP-1. It is highly effective at reducing appetite, thus dramatically increasing weight loss. But we can trigger GLP-1 naturally by simply allowing ourselves at least 20 minutes to finish a meal. A recent study shows that eating a meal in 30 minutes vs. 5 minutes significantly increases the release of PYY and GLP-1. Subjects who ate slowly consumed less food and reported feeling more satisfied. 

How Eating Slowly Reduces Weight Gain

This is an important point. Eating slowly leads to lower food consumption. In a University of Rhode Island study, 30 healthy women were instructed to eat a large bowl of pasta on two separate occasions until they were comfortably full. On one occasion, they were asked to eat quickly (under 10 minutes). On the other occasion, they were asked to eat slowly (30 minutes). When the women ate quickly, they consumed 646 calories in 9 minutes. When eating slowly, they consumed only 579 calories in 29 minutes. When the women ate quickly, they also reported feeling hungrier an hour after the meal. So despite eating more food, they felt less satisfied. 

In this same study, when the women ate slowly, they also consumed more water (14 ounces) vs. only 9.7 ounces when they ate quickly. Eating slowly is also associated with greater hydration, which aids in digestion and contributes to feeling full. 

How Eating Slowly Improves Digestion

Eating slowly improves digestion, which makes us feel more energized, helps us perform better during the day and sleep better at night. When we chew our food, salivary enzymes are released in our mouth to break down carbohydrates. The more we chew, the easier it is on the rest of our digestive system. In a study of 60 college students, slow eaters consumed 2 ounces of food per minute while the fast eaters consumed 3.1 ounces. The fast eaters took larger bites and chewed less before swallowing. If you frequently feel over full and bloated or suffer from indigestion after meals, it’s a sign that you are likely eating too quickly.

If weight loss is your goal, eating slowly may be the most important nutritional habit to develop. Numerous studies have shown that fast eaters gain more weight over time than slow eaters, are at a higher risk for developing obesity and are more likely to become insulin resistant, leading to a great risk for type II diabetes. 

There are numerous ways you can slow down your eating. Here are some helpful tips:

• Sit down to eat in a calm environment with minimal distractions. Don’t eat while driving, while watching TV, while texting, etc. Pay attention to your food.
• Choose high-fiber foods that take more time to chew, such as fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Cook the meals you eat. The act of cooking tends to blunt appetite so when you sit down to eat, you will eat less. 
• Don’t wait until you are starving before you eat. Eat every 4 hours so you won’t be ravenously hungry and tempted to shovel food in to your mouth. This will help you make better food choices also. 
• Put down your utensils between bites. Take a moment. Breathe. If you’re eating with other people, enjoy making conversation.
• Set a minimum number of chews per bite, say 15 to 20. This will feel strange at first but give it a try and see what you discover.
• Set a timer when you start your meal. When you first start this practice you will be shocked at how quickly you eat. Many people find themselves finishing their meals in 6 to 7 minutes. Keep using the timer until eating slowly (20 minute meals) becomes a habit. 
• If you find yourself rushing, that’s OK. Put your utensils down and take a minute to re-focus. If slow eating isn’t habitual for you, this will take practice.
• Find another slow eater and pace yourself to them. Picky little kids and chatty dinner companions who hardly stop talking long enough to take a bite are often ideal for this.
• Set aside time to eat – at least 20-30 minutes for each meal, and preferably even longer at dinner. Don’t just eat “whenever you get around to it” or treat it as an inconvenience. You’re fueling your body and maybe spending quality time with friends and family. That’s important. It deserves an appointment.