06-01-2009, 05:20 PM
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| Automated Post | | Join Date: Mar 2008
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 Eight Ways to Feel Full Eating Less/Jonny Bowden
People who wolf down their food are more likely to be overweight and suffer from digestive problems. Here are eight tips from the Life Extension Institute, expanded on by me, to help you not do that! - Stop eating before you feel full. It takes 15 to 20 minutes for your digestive system to tell your brain that you've had enough. The gut sends a little hormone called CCK to the brain to deliver the message "dude, you're full!" It takes a while to arrive- if you stop eating before you feel full, you'll do just fine. Remember, one of the longest lived societies in the world (Okinawans) have a saying: hara hachi bu, which means "step away from the table when you're about 75% full".
- Turn utensils into allies. Make a habit of putting down your fork or spoon after each bite; don't pick it up again until you've swallowed. If you're eating hand-held foods, place them on your plate between bites. This helps you with number one (above), giving CCK more time to make the journey to the brain.
- Chew well. Take small bites of food and chew each one about four or five times before swallowing. Don't take the next bite until your mouth is empty. You also can take a sip of water between mouthfuls. You'll be amazed at how helpful this is.
- Take breaks. Once or twice during a meal, stop eating for about a minute. Talk, drink some water and take note of how full you're getting.
- Relax. Try to schedule mealtimes when you can sit down and not rush. If you can, play soft background music - studies have shown it makes people slow down. Stressful dinners- with shouting and argument- make digestion next to impossible. Those stress hormones prepare the body for fighting or running, not for sitting down and digesting. Work with your body, not against it.
- Concentrate on your meal. Distractions such as TV can keep you from noticing how quickly you're eating. Not only that, TV is the ultimate mindfulness-killer. I won't even patronize restaurants that have the TV on all the time, although ones that don't are increasingly difficult to find.
- Try different dishes. If you have the same meals all the time, you're more likely to eat quickly and mindlessly.
- Time yourself. As you adjust to a slower pace, a watch or timer can help you set goals.
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