Not only is fast food no good, eating food fast may be a bad idea.
The International Congress of Endocrinology reports research to suggest that fast eaters are more than twice as likely to develop Type 2 diabetes!
Perhaps scarfing down your food demands too much insulin all at once or it could be that eating fast usually means eating too much so the resultant obesity is a contributing factor? Not sure- likely both.
In any case, the advice is to slow down and take it easy when you eat, allowing at least 20 minutes to eat a meal. Read an interesting magazine article or blog post (like this one) or better yet, just chew and enjoy your food.
Savor it if you dare.
When you’re sharing a meal with someone, talk about the food while you eat instead of about work or people or problems. You’ll likely have a better meal and better digestion as a result. Still can’t stretch it beyond ten minutes? Try putting the fork down between bites – a revolutionary maneuver.
Mindful eating is a deterrent against overeating because you are more likely to feel satisfied when you’re aware of the food you are eating. Take a lesson from the French (again) when it comes to eating and spending time together around the table. Traditionally they have enjoyed long meals with lengthy gastronomic discussions and have had the lowest rate of diabetes in Europe. Sadly, as they adopt our habits and taste for fast food eaten quickly, that happy statistic is changing.
It may be that HOW we eat is as important as WHAT we eat.
Bon appetit!
Andrea DiMauro is the founder of the website Food Truth. For more great information on how to actually eat healthy check out her site AND be sure to download the Food Truth mobile app!
www.foodtruthonline.com
