The Right Bite http://getrightbite.com How Skinny People Eat Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:08:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 The Right Bite New Diet iPhone App http://getrightbite.com/2009/11/21/hello-world/ http://getrightbite.com/2009/11/21/hello-world/#comments Sat, 21 Nov 2009 12:25:05 +0000 admin http:/?p=1 SplashScreen2

If you’re skinny or you have one of those metabolisms that allow you to eat anything and everything and you’re still skinny…I hate you (just kidding, okay jealous maybe). The rest of us have tried everything. The diet de-jour, the promise of weight loss through exercise, fat free foods, sugar free foods, low carbs, high protein, you name it, we’ve been there and back and still struggling. This is what was going through my mind one day when I was sitting in an outdoor cafe in New York having lunch by myself. As I was woofing down my meal, completely unconscious of what I was eating and how much I was eating, a skinny guy eating near me caught my eye.

He looked like he was savoring every bite and was really enjoying it. He wasn’t eating much at all. I was so fixated on how he was eating that I actually started mimicking him. At first I would practically swallow my food whole the way I normally ate and I sat there wondering when he will take his next bite. After a few of those swallow and wait cycles, I started chewing my food longer. It was amazing. In the matter of a few minutes I was eating less and enjoying my meal more. That experience set me out on a journey. A researched everything I could find out about eating slower and it’s effects. The results are all here.

The Right Bite is the culmination of my research. Apparently, I was one of the last to know. Grandmas have been saying for years, “don’t gobble, chew your food”. Nutrition gurus recommend everything from putting your fork down between bites, counting to 20 before swallowing and a host of other tricks to slow us down. Unfortunately our lives haven gotten so fast and so distracting that without a little aid to gently remind us of a healthy pace, we fall back to our past habits. The Right Bite is the perfect gentle reminder. Whether you are having a working lunch, a social dinner with friends or even at home by yourself watching t.v. or a movie, you choose how it should signal you when you should be reaching for your next bite. In the meantime, you chew your food slowly, you digest better, and you give your mind a chance to tell you that you have had enough.

Remember it’s the mind that tells us we are full, not our stomachs. By the time our stomachs feel full, it’s too late, we have over eaten.
I promise you, use the Right Bite and you will eat less, loss weight naturally and improve your health and digestion. It’s that easy!

]]> http://getrightbite.com/2009/11/21/hello-world/feed/ 0 Weight Loss App for iPhone and iPod http://getrightbite.com/2009/11/11/weight-loss-app-for-iphone-and-ipod/ http://getrightbite.com/2009/11/11/weight-loss-app-for-iphone-and-ipod/#comments Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:26:58 +0000 admin http://getrightbite.com/?p=173 Weight loss app for iPhone and iPod
Lynn MacPherson

Weight loss and the iPhone
Can your iPhone or iPod help you lose weight? With the new release of their “revolutionary behavior modification and weight loss tool”, the makers of The Right Bite, Inc. think you can! They proudly introduced The Right Bite 1.0 on November 4th with a tag line of “How Skinny People Eat”. Backing their app up with scientific research conducted at major universities, they focus on the pace you eat. According to the PrMac release announcement, “The studies conclude that slower eating generally produces less consumption with no loss of feeling satiated. By focusing on chewing thoroughly, the user gets more caloric energy out of each bite than if the same amount of food was less pulverized due to fast eating and improper chewing.”

Weight loss and the iPhone: A very affordable app
Weight loss has never cost so little. The Right Bite 1.0 is only $1.99 (USD). The Right Bite will work with iPhone or iPod Touch 2.2 or later.

Weight loss and the iPhone: An app that turbo charges other diets
One of the best features of this tool, according to the release announcement, is that it “serves to turbo-charge the results of most, it not all other diets, such as Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Atkins, South Beach and The Zone diets.”

Weight loss and the iPhone or iPod: How does it work?
Our fast-paced lifestyles tend to carry over into our eating habits, but eating is one thing you don’t want to do quickly. The Right Bite has an “easy to read visual display, sound and/or vibration cues help the user stay on track”, boasts the release announcement.

iPhone Weight loss tool: Availability
The Right Bite 1.0 is available exclusively in the App Store in the category of Healthcare and Fitness.

Weight loss and the iPhone? Yes, you’re one step closer to weight loss with this new app.
 

References:
http://getrightbite.com/

http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/browserRedirect?url=itms%253A%252F%252Fax.itunes.apple.com%252FWebObjects%252FMZStore.woa%252Fwa%252FviewSoftware%253Fid%253D333441173%2526mt%253D8

http://prmac.com/release-id-8399.htm

]]> http://getrightbite.com/2009/11/11/weight-loss-app-for-iphone-and-ipod/feed/ 67 Eating Quickly is Associated With Overeating http://getrightbite.com/2009/11/04/eating-quickly-is-associated-with-overeating/ http://getrightbite.com/2009/11/04/eating-quickly-is-associated-with-overeating/#comments Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:42:23 +0000 admin http://getrightbite.com/?p=163 Eating Quickly Is Associated With Overeating, Study Indicates

ScienceDaily (Nov. 4, 2009) — According to a new study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM), eating a meal quickly, as compared to slowly, curtails the release of hormones in the gut that induce feelings of being full. The decreased release of these hormones, can often lead to overeating.

 

“Most of us have heard that eating fast can lead to food overconsumption and obesity, and in fact some observational studies have supported this notion,” said Alexander Kokkinos, MD, PhD, of Laiko General Hospital in Athens Greece and lead author of the study. “Our study provides a possible explanation for the relationship between speed eating and overeating by showing that the rate at which someone eats may impact the release of gut hormones that signal the brain to stop eating.”

In the last few years, research regarding gut hormones, such as peptide YY (PYY) and glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1), has shown that their release after a meal acts on the brain and induces satiety and meal termination. Until now, concentrations of appetite-regulating hormones have not been examined in the context of different rates of eating.

In this study, subjects consumed the same test meal, 300ml of ice-cream, at different rates. Researchers took blood samples for the measurement of glucose, insulin, plasma lipids and gut hormones before the meal and at 30 minute intervals after the beginning of eating, until the end of the session, 210 minutes later. Researchers found that subjects who took the full 30 minutes to finish the ice cream had higher concentrations of PYY and GLP-1 and also tended to have a higher fullness rating.

“Our findings give some insight into an aspect of modern-day food overconsumption, namely the fact that many people, pressed by demanding working and living conditions, eat faster and in greater amounts than in the past,” said Kokkinos. “The warning we were given as children that ‘wolfing down your food will make you fat,’ may in fact have a physiological explanation.”

Other researchers working on the study include Kleopatra Alexiadou, Nicholas Tentolouris, Despoina Kyriaki, Despoina Perrea and Nicholas Katsilambros of Athens University Medical School in Greece; and Carel le Roux, Royce Vincent, Mohammad Ghatei and Stephen Bloom of Imperial College in London, United Kingdom.

 

Journal reference:

1.                      Kokkinos et al. Eating Slowly Increases the Postprandial Response of the Anorexigenic Gut Hormones, Peptide YY and Glucagon-Like Peptide-1.Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2009; DOI:10.1210/jc.2009-1018

Adapted from materials provided by The Endocrine Society, viaEurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

]]> http://getrightbite.com/2009/11/04/eating-quickly-is-associated-with-overeating/feed/ 63 Anorexigenic Gut Peptide http://getrightbite.com/2009/10/29/gut-hormone-study/ http://getrightbite.com/2009/10/29/gut-hormone-study/#comments Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:52:04 +0000 admin http://getrightbite.com/?p=166 This version published online on October 29, 2009
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism , doi:10.1210/jc.2009-1018

Submitted on May 14, 2009
Accepted on October 5, 2009

Eating Slowly Increases the Postprandial Response of the Anorexigenic Gut Hormones, Peptide YY and Glucagon-Like Peptide-1

Alexander Kokkinos*, Carel W. le Roux, Kleopatra Alexiadou, Nicholas Tentolouris, Royce P. Vincent, Despoina Kyriaki, Despoina Perrea, Mohammad A. Ghatei, Stephen R. Bloom, and Nicholas Katsilambros

First Department of Propaedeutic Medicine (A.K., K.A., N.T., D.K., D.P., N.K.), Athens University Medical School, Laiko General Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece; and Department of Metabolic Medicine (C.W.l.R., R.P.V., M.A.G., S.R.B.), Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College, London W12 ONN, United Kingdom

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: rjd@otenet.gr.

Context: The rate at which people eat has been suggested to be positively associated with obesity, although appetite and related gut hormones have not been measured.

Objective: The objective of the study was to determine whether eating the same meal at varying speeds elicits different postprandial gut peptideresponses.

Design and Setting: This was a crossover study at a clinical research facility.

Study Participants: Seventeen healthy adult male volunteers participated in the study.

Intervention: A test meal consisting of 300 ml ice cream (675 kcal) was consumed in random order on two different sessions by each subject: meal duration took either 5 or 30 min.

Main Outcome Measures: The postprandial response of the orexigenic hormone ghrelin and the anorexigenic peptides peptide YY and glucagon-like peptide-1 over 210 min was assessed. Visual analog scales for the subjective feelings of hunger and fullness were completed throughout each session.

Results: Peptide YY area under the curve (AUC) was higher after the 30-min meal than after the 5-min meal (mean ± SEM AUC 5 min meal: 4133 ± 324, AUC 30 min meal: 5250 ± 330 pmol/liter · min, P = 0.004), as was glucagon-like peptide-1 AUC (mean ± SEM AUC 5 min meal: 6219 ± 256, AUC 30 min meal: 8794 ± 656 pmol/liter · min, P = 0.001). There was a trend for higher visual analog scale fullness ratings immediately after the end of the 30-min meal compared with immediately after the 5-min meal. There were no differences in ghrelin response.

Conclusions: Eating at a physiologically moderate pace leads to a more pronounced anorexigenic gut peptide response than eating very fast.

]]> http://getrightbite.com/2009/10/29/gut-hormone-study/feed/ 27 Cornell Study http://getrightbite.com/2009/08/03/cornell-study/ http://getrightbite.com/2009/08/03/cornell-study/#comments Mon, 03 Aug 2009 17:31:46 +0000 admin http://getrightbite.com/?p=154 Speed Eating and Fat Loss: Diet Advice Your Mom Was Right About All Along

A new study just published in a recent issue of the journal Obesity has revealed that thin people eat very differently than heavy people at all-you-can-eat buffet restaurants.

Researcher Brian Wansink and his team from the Cornell University Food and Brand Laboratory observed diners at 11 different Chinese buffet restaurants across the United States.

Their goal was to find out whether the eating behaviors of people at all-you-can-eat buffets varied based on their body mass.

Trained observers recorded the height, weight, gender, age, and behavior of 213 patrons. The various seating, serving and eating behaviors were then compared across BMI levels.

The heavier (higher BMI) patrons:

* ate more quickly * chewed more per bite of food * used forks * sat facing the food buffet

The thin (lower BMI) patrons:

* ate more slowly * chewed less food per bite * used chopsticks * sat facing away from the food buffet

This study confirms earlier research from the University of Rhode Island published in the journal of the American Dietetic Association which found that eating slowly leads to decreases in energy intake.

Scientists even have a name for this now:

“TIME-ENERGY DISPLACEMENT”

Time Energy Displacement means that the more time you take to eat, the less energy (calories) you are likely to consume. The faster you eat, the more energy (calories) you’re likely to consume.

But wait, there’s even more! A study from the University of Alabama looked at satiety (how full a food makes you feel), energy density (calories per unit of volume) and eating time of various foods. To maximize the effects of Time-Energy Displacement, it was found even more advantageous to choose foods that FORCE you to ingest calories more slowly.

This includes choosing more:

* Foods that have a high satiety factor such as high fiber and high water foods (so you feel fuller more quickly) * Foods with a high “chew factor” (so you can’t eat them fast if you tried; you have to chew them thoroughly) * Foods with a low energy density such as high fiber vegetables and lean protein (so you’d get tired of eating before you took in a lot of calories).

These results also confirm all the studies that have been advising us not to drink our calories. Liquid calories, especially soft drinks and desert coffees are two of the biggest sources of excess calories in the typical American’s diet.

The problem: calories in liquid form can have a very high caloric density and can be consumed very quickly. Liquid calories also do not activate the satiety mechanism in your brain and gastrointestinal tract the way solid food does.

“Don’t inhale your food” used to be an admonishment about proper eating etiquette you heard from your mom. It is now scientifically-proven fat loss advice.

]]> http://getrightbite.com/2009/08/03/cornell-study/feed/ 6 Slow Eating May Prevent Weight Gain http://getrightbite.com/2009/08/03/slow-eating-may-prevent-weight-gain/ http://getrightbite.com/2009/08/03/slow-eating-may-prevent-weight-gain/#comments Mon, 03 Aug 2009 08:25:13 +0000 admin http://getrightbite.com/?p=149 Slow Eating May Prevent Weight Gain
by Craig Weatherby
Courtesy of Vital Choice Seafood
Last May, we profiled the Slow Food movement, which started in Italy in reaction to the arrival of McDonald’s in central Rome, and has been gaining American adherents. (See Slow Food Movement Gains Momentum.)
The five-point mission statement of Slow Food USA encapsulates the purpose of this grass-roots movement:
* Stewardship of the land and ecologically sound food production;
* Revival of the kitchen and the table as centers of pleasure, culture, and community;
* Invigoration and proliferation of regional, seasonal culinary traditions;
* Creation of a collaborative, ecologically-oriented, and virtuous globalization;
* Living a slower and more harmonious rhythm of life.
Implicit in the last goal – and the Slow Food movement’s very name — is a desire to pay greater attention to the act of eating: an approach that the research we’re reporting today suggests could help halt this country’s fast-growing obesity/diabetes epidemic.
Following up on our story about the weight control benefits of using smaller dishes and bowls to achieve portion control – see Portion Control for Weight Control– we’ve found substantial evidence that it makes sense to savor food more slowly than Americans typically do.
Advice posted on the National Institutes of Health Web site, under the heading Get The (Fullness) Message puts the point succinctly: Changing the way you go about eating can make it easier to eat less without feeling deprived. (NHLBI 2007)
This line refers to the fact that it takes about 15 minutes for your brain to receive hormone-borne signals from your gut. So it’s logical to presume that eating fast lets you eat too much before you’re fully aware of it.
For instance, all of the few studies on the subject suggest that people eat more when they are doing other things at the same time, such as talking, reading, or watching TV (Liebman M et al 2003; Salmon J et al 2000).
But only recently has anyone looked for links between the rate at which people eat and the risk of becoming overweight.
We’ve uncovered four papers published in the past three years, whose combined results reinforce the value of slower, more mindful dining.
American, French, and Japanese link overeating to fast eating
Last fall, researchers from the University of Rhode Island presented a paper titled Eating Rate and Satiation at the Obesity Society (NAASO) 2006 Annual Meeting in Boston.
According to a press release issued last week, a team led by Kathleen Melanson recruited people of normal weight, gave them meals, and recorded their eating speed and calorie intake (Melanson K et al 2006).
As you’d expect, the fast eaters among the recruits ate more calories. And they chowed down about 3.5 times faster than the slower eaters.
In addition to this small unpublished trial, three peer-reviewed studies support the value of slow eating: a joint French-American investigation and two reports from Japan, described below.
French paradox may rest in part on portion size and eating speed
The term French paradox refers to the fact that although the French diet is quite high in cholesterol-raising, calorie-rich, saturated fats from meat and dairy foods, rates of heart disease and obesity are lower in France than in the United States.
Much of the population’s relative immunity to cardiovascular disease is believed to stem from the famous French penchant for vegetables and red wine, both of which are high in artery-protecting antioxidants.
With regard to the other part of the Paradox – the rarity of obesity in France despite its people’s fatty diet — a joint French-American team set out to test their hypothesis that the French savor their food more slowly and in smaller portions, compared with Americans (Rozin P et al 2003).
The team members came from the University of Pennsylvania and the government-funded Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique or CNRS in Paris.
As the authors stated the case, … the French are leaner than Americans. The mean body mass index … is 24.4 for French adults … as compared with 26.6 for American adults … In contrast to the 22.3% of Americans who qualify as obese (BMI 30), only 7.4% of French so qualify … Although the French eat more fat than Americans, they probably eat slightly fewer calories. (Rozin P et al 2003)
These facts raise an obvious question. Fat contains more than twice as many calories nine per gram), compared with carbohydrates and protein (four per gram). Since people in France eat more fat than Americans consume, how can the French be eating fewer calories?
Restaurant research proves revealing
The French and American researchers went to McDonald’s fast food joints in urban shopping districts at the same time of year at lunchtime, to record the time people remained seated with their food.
They found that the average American customer spent 35 percent less time at the table. The French spent an average of 22.2 minutes eating and sitting at McDonald’s, while Americans stayed only 14.4 minutes.
But speed wasn’t the only difference the investigators uncovered. They also found that the French restaurants serve smaller portions.
They measured this by visiting other chain restaurants in Paris and Philadelphia, and measuring the weights of comparable meals being served, or, within the same chains, the weights of ostensibly identical meals being served.
They found that the average portions served, even within the same chain, were substantially bigger in America (Rozin P et al 2003).
Comparisons of cookbooks and packaged foods confirm cultural gaps
The scientists also compared the total weight of the foods comparable recipes from two comparable basic cookbooks widely used in each country: The Joy of Cooking for the United States and the commonly used general French cookbook Je sais cuisiner.
The best selling American book’s recipes had the bigger portions, by about half.
Finally, they compared the sizes of similar products in supermarkets in both countries, and found that the American chain had bigger portions of comparable packaged foods, such as frozen entrees.
Their conclusion puts it clearly and with some wit … we added a word of clarification in brackets []):
Ironically, although the French eat less than Americans, they seem to eat for a longer period of time, and hence have more food experience [enjoyment]. The French can have their cake and eat it as well. (Rozin P et al 2003)
Japanese studies support value of slowing down
In the first Japanese study, a team from the National Institute of Health and Nutrition in Tokyo enrolled 1,695 female dietetic students, all 18 years old. Using questionnaires, the researchers collected information on the students’ nutrient and fiber intake, body height and weight, and rate of eating (according to five categories).
The results showed a significant and positive correlation between higher rates of eating and higher body mass index or BMI (Sasaki S et al 2003).
Among the food factors analyzed, only higher intakes of dietary fiber – not protein, fat, or carbohydrates — showed a significant, negative correlation with BMI: and that correlation was weaker than the link between slower eating and lower BMI.
In the second study, researchers from Nagoya University recruited middle-aged civil servants — 3,737 men and 1,005 women — who completed surveys on their estimated rate of eating, current body mass index, their BMI at age 20, their BMI change since age 20, and their calorie intake over a one-month period.
The results showed that the faster eaters were also the fattest folks. As the Nagoya team said, “Our results among middle-aged men and women suggest that eating fast would lead to obesity.” (Otsuka R et al 2006)
Their findings suggest that eating slowly is more likely to discourage weight gain, compared with increasing ones’ fiber intake.
As a whole, the results of the four studies provide ample reason to take it slow at the dinner table: an attitude that will allow you to enjoy your food much more while reducing the risk of unwanted weight gain.

]]> http://getrightbite.com/2009/08/03/slow-eating-may-prevent-weight-gain/feed/ 29 Eating Slowly Translates to Eating Less-USA Today http://getrightbite.com/2009/08/02/eating-slowly-usa-today/ http://getrightbite.com/2009/08/02/eating-slowly-usa-today/#comments Mon, 03 Aug 2009 07:21:00 +0000 admin http://getrightbite.com/?p=139  Home 

Study suggests eating slowly translates to eating less

By Nanci Hellmich, USA TODAY

If you’re concerned about gaining weight over the upcoming holiday season, consider eating more slowly and you might consume less, a study suggests.

Diet experts have been touting this advice for years, and now nutrition scientists at the University of Rhode Island have some new data to back it up.

They had 30 normal-weight, college-age women come into a laboratory for lunch on two separate occasions. Each time, the women were offered a huge plate of pasta with tomato-vegetable sauce and grated parmesan cheese, plus a glass of water.

They were asked to eat until the point of comfortable fullness. On one occasion, they were instructed to eat as quickly as they could; on the other occasion they ate slowly and put down their spoons between bites.

They did not know the food and water was weighed before and after the meal to determine the amount consumed.

Findings:

•When eating quickly, the women consumed 646 calories in aboout nine minutes.

•When eating more slowly, they had an average of 579 caloriees in about 29 minutes.

“They ate 67 calories more in nine minutes than they did in 29 minutes,” says lead researcher Kathleen Melanson, director of the university’s Energy Metabolism Laboratory. “If you add that up over three meals a day, that’s a big difference in calories.”

Upon completion of the meal and an hour afterward, the women were less satisfied and hungrier when eating quickly compared with when they ate slowly, she says. They said they enjoyed the meal more when they were taking their time.

Not surprisingly, the women drank more water when they ate more slowly, and researchers are doing a follow-up study on whether that factor contributed to their feeling of fullness.

One way to help control calorie intake during Thanksgiving “is to slow down and savor and enjoy your food more,” Melanson says.

“Put down the fork between bites and take time to have a conversation and linger over the meal,” she says.

But Barbara Rolls, a nutrition professor at Pennsylvania State University, says another study showed that people who paused between bites actually consumed more food during a meal.

“Eating rate is hard to change, so eat at a pace that maximizes your enjoyment of the food,” Rolls says. “If slowing down and savoring the flavors and textures of foods leaves you feeling more satisfied, go for it.”

Still, there are reasons not to stuff yourself too quickly at the Thanksgiving feast.

“Satiety signals take time to be experienced, so after you have eaten an amount of food that should be satisfying, you may want to wait 15 to 20 minutes before deciding if you are still hungry,” Rolls says.

]]> http://getrightbite.com/2009/08/02/eating-slowly-usa-today/feed/ 32 Lose Weight Permanently-Eat Slowly http://getrightbite.com/2009/07/03/lose-weight-permanently-eat-slowly/ http://getrightbite.com/2009/07/03/lose-weight-permanently-eat-slowly/#comments Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:58:32 +0000 admin http://getrightbite.com/?p=152 Lose Weight Permanently - Eat Slowly

You have started a new diet and you realise that it is time to get that weight under control. You know it is hard but you are determined to try. But you still love your food and cannot control the urge to eat as fast as ever. You will fail if do not change this habit. Eat slowly.

Thin people eat slowly in general. It takes anything up to 20 minutes for the brain to recognize the feeling of satiation after eating before your body is cognizant of this fact. This means that when your stomach is full, your brain has not yet told you about this fact. You will continue to eat which is not only a bad habit but is also likely to see you consume an extra 100 to 200 calories per meal. That is not a good habit to continue.

You can still enjoy eating. Take the time you need to fully enjoy and eat your food. Try to eat things that have a wholesome flavour or interesting textures, looks and smells. Food can be exciting if you want it to be. Then you enjoy the process of eating rather than the quick satiety you previously desired. Before long you will become accustomed to this new way of thinking and, therefore, the new way of eating.

There are ways you can eat more slowly. First, tell yourself you are going to do it. Make the effort and don’t expect to finish before others. Chat and talk while you are eating. Chew your food for longer and put your knife and fork down whilst your are chewing. Eats slowly, lose weight more quickly.

Eric Hartwell oversees “The World’s Best Homepage” intended to be a user-generated resource where YOUR opinion counts. Anybody can contribute and all are welcomed. Visit us to read, comment upon or share opinions on weight loss and obesity and visit his associated site articles for free.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr._Mark_Clayson

]]> http://getrightbite.com/2009/07/03/lose-weight-permanently-eat-slowly/feed/ 28 Slow Eating is Healthy Eating http://getrightbite.com/2009/07/03/slow-eating-is-healthy-eating/ http://getrightbite.com/2009/07/03/slow-eating-is-healthy-eating/#comments Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:15:55 +0000 admin http://getrightbite.com/?p=147 Slow Eating is Healthy Eating
  
As the youngest of three children, I often found myself at the dinner table well after everyone else had finished and been excused. Somewhere during the growing up years I learned to eat fast so I wouldn’t be left behind. Now I wish I could slow down.

Eating Fast Causes Problems

Eating fast causes several problems for me. One is digestion, or rather indigestion. Sometimes it seems that my stomach can’t keep up with my mouth. (In fact it takes 15-20 minutes for the digestive juices to do their job, so fast eating can overwhelm the digestive system.) I’m often finished before I’m aware I’ve started; I want more because I’m not ready to be done, even though my plate is empty, so I take seconds. I don’t know if I’m hungry or not. I do know that when I manage to eat slower I feel fuller and more satisfied when I’m finished with my meal.

Other problems with fast eating are social. Slower eaters (and that includes just about everyone I know) feel uncomfortable when they’re still eating and I’m done. Finishing quickly often interrupts the flow of conversation, especially at a restaurant when the waiter clears my plate before my friends are half done.

Slow Eating = Less Eating

Research confirms that slower eating results in less eating. A study at the University of Rhode Island shows a direct relation between slow eating and less calorie intake. The study also found that eating slowly results in a greater sense of fullness after eating. Researchers at the Nagoya University in Japan reached a similar conclusion: fast eating among middle age men and women leads to obesity.

 Tips for Eating More Slowly

I don’t need any more convincing that it’s healthier to eat more slowly; I just need to do it. Here are some slow eating tips I’m going to try:

Take small bites and chew every mouthful at least four or five times before swallowing. Wait until your mouth is empty before you take another bite.

Put your utensil down after every bite. Don’t pick it up until you’ve swallowed the food that’s in your mouth.

Don’t do others things when you’re eating. People tend to eat more quickly if they’re reading or watching TV as they eat. If you’re dining with another person, talk only when your mouth is empty.

When you sit down to the dinner table, rest a brief moment before digging in. Remind yourself to eat slowly and savor the food. Take occasional short breaks during the meal.

Vary your diet. We tend to eat faster when we eat familiar food. Interesting food slows us down so we can experience the new tastes and aromas.

Schedule meals so you’re not rushed and can relax.

Don’t eat in your car.

 Rewards of Slow Eating

The rewards of slow eating reach well beyond our stomachs. As slow eater Joanna Suzanne (not her real name) puts it, “If I start each meal by just noticing what is on the plate…it slows me down. It makes me more aware of what I’m eating. I chew more and this definitely makes me eat less.

When we eat slowly we have time to appreciate our food and the world around us. It’s all part of healthy living.

]]> http://getrightbite.com/2009/07/03/slow-eating-is-healthy-eating/feed/ 60 Dutch Group Clinical Study http://getrightbite.com/2009/06/02/dutch-group-clinical-study/ http://getrightbite.com/2009/06/02/dutch-group-clinical-study/#comments Wed, 03 Jun 2009 07:05:13 +0000 admin http://getrightbite.com/?p=133 Effect of bite size and oral processing time of a semisolid food on satiation
Zijlstra, N.; De Wijk, R.A.; Mars, M.; Stafleu, A.; De Graaf, C.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 90, 269 – 75

The texture of food plays an important role in food intake regulation. In previous studies we showed a clear effect of viscosity on ad libitum food intake and found indications that eating rate, bite size and oral processing time (OPT) could play a role. Therefore, our objective of the current study was to determine the effect of bite size and OPT of a food on satiation / ad libitum food intake. A total of 22 healthy subjects participated in all 7 conditions of the study. Bite sizes were free or fixed to small bite sizes (approximately 5 gram) or large bite sizes (approximately 15 gram). OPT was free or fixed to 3 or 9 seconds. Subjects consumed a commercially available chocolate custard through a tube, which was connected to a peristaltic pump to control bite sizes. Sound signals indicated duration of OPT. Subjects consumed significantly more when bite sizes were large compared to small (bite size effect p<0.0001) and when oral processing time was 9 sec compared to 3 sec (oral processing time effect p=0.008). In the small bite size conditions, ad libitum intakes were 381±197 gram (3sec OPT) and 313±170 gram (9sec OPT). In the large bite size conditions, ad libitum intakes were much higher, 476±176 (3sec OPT) and 432±163 (9sec OPT) gram. Mean overall bite size in the “free bite size” conditions was 10.3 ± 4.0 gram when OPT was free, 9.9 ± 4.8 gram when OPT was 3 sec and 10.2 ± 4.7 when OPT was 9 sec. Intakes in those conditions were respectively 462 ± 211, 455 ± 197 and 443 ± 202 gram. In conclusion, the results of our study demonstrate that more oral exposure to a product, by eating with large bite sizes compared to small bite sizes and increasing oral processing time, significantly increases food intake.

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