Do One Thing (DOT) #6: Eat Slowly. Stop at Satisfied.

As moms, I’m sure you’re already chuckling and rolling your eyes at the idea of eating slowly. Yeah, right. I get it. In between the requests for more ketchup and the cups of spilled milk, I know what it’s like to shovel food in whenever a second allows! Usually, I’m multi-tasking and trying to put away clean dishes while I chew.

Eat Slowly

But here’s the thing. Eating slowly actually helps you consume less food. You’ve probably heard it before: It takes your brain at least 20 minutes to register when it’s full.

Those lovely hormones we’ve talked about before in terms of sleep – ghrelin and leptin – are at play here as well. They are what determine if you feel full or hungry. If you’re scarfing down food in 10 minutes flat, you’ll never really feel satisfied.

Plus, even chewing more slowly has its benefits as well. Using your teeth (God created them for a reason, right?) and grinding up the food before swallowing helps the digestion process, making it easier for your intestines to actually absorb the nutrients.

For more on the research behind all of this, here’s a great resource.

This month’s “Do ONE Thing” is really do “one” thing with two parts. In addition to eating more slowly, I want us to think about a second idea: Stop at satisfied – not “full.”

Stop at Satisfied

The Japanese have a concept called “hara hachi bu,” which basically means eat until you are 80% full. Instead of thinking you have to eat until you are completely full, as we know it, try thinking I will stop when I am “satisfied.” (P.S. Sorry for the wikipedia link. It was the simplest explanation of a resource I could find).

When you take this into consideration with the 20 minute concept above, it’s likely you are 80% full without really knowing it if you’re speed eating. It can take 15-20 attempts at this before your stomach muscles get used to this sensation – so don’t feel bad if you really “still” feel hungry.

I won’t go into it too much right now, but the word gluttonous comes to mind. Really, when there are “starving children in Africa” (I put that in quotes because it’s so cliche – but I know it’s also reality…), do we, as Americans, really need to eat as much as we do anyway?

Proverbs 25:16: If you find honey, eat just enough— too much of it, and you will vomit.

Goals

This month, my goals include:

* actually sitting down while eating lunch

* thinking about chewing before swallowing

* making sure dinner time lasts at least 20 minutes

* stopping before I feel “full”

How about you? What actionable steps will you try to implement this month as you focus on eating more slowly and stopping when you’re satisfied?