Take it Slow

You’ve heard it a million times – sloooooow down when you eat. As a registered dietitian, I dole out this advice nearly every day. But scientists at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston just published a study about the value of leisurely eating.

Researchers asked the same group of women to eat two separate pasta meals. On one occasion, the women were given a large spoon, told not to stop between bites, and were instructed to eat as quickly as possible. On a separate day, they were given the same meal with a small spoon, which they put down after each bite. They were also told to take small bites, and chew each bite 15 to 20 times.

The fast eaters consumed an average of 646 calories in 9 minutes. But when they slowed down, they consumed 579 calories in 29 minutes. The slow group also reported feeling fuller and more satisfied - both just after stopping, and an hour later.

Now, that 70 calorie difference may not sound like much. But, if you ate 3 times a day (slowly), and saved 70 calories per meal, you’d cut 210 calories per day. That’s enough to help a moderately active person shed 14 pounds! So, give it a try, and let me know how it goes. Adjusting your pace could just change your relationship with food and your body.

Now for today’s fun facts:
-Tortoises (big fans of taking it slow) can live for 150 years
-A Slow Loris is a nocturnal animal that weighs just 1 pound
-Snails (also slowpokes) vary greatly in size – the biggest is over 30 inches in length and weighs over 40 pounds!

And for more info on that study, click here.

photo courtesy of National Cancer Institute

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