Eating: What's the rush. Trick to take on the road

SLOW DOWN + LOSE WEIGHT + LOVE WHAT YOU'RE EATING
When you’re on vacation or taking a trip it’s fun to enjoy rich foods, restaurants, or worry less about what you’re eating. 
Why rush through those tasty meals? 
Eating slowly, savoring every bite not only makes the meals last longer so you can enjoy them longer, but more importantly, it’s beneficial for your body. And can help you LOSE WEIGHT even when you’re on vacation!

It takes about 20 minutes from the start of a meal for the brain to send signals to the body that it’s full, done, and doesn't need anymore. Most people’s meals don’t come close to lasting that long!
BENEFITS OF SLOW EATING:

• better digestion when you chew the food into smaller bites so your body can absorb its nutrients more effectively
• better hydration when you take time to drink more during the meal between bites
• easier weight loss - studies who we eat less if eating slowly
• greater satisfaction with our meals as you taste the food more and feel less stuffed by eating less

On the flip side …
EATING FAST CAN CAUSE:

• poor digestion, indigestion, bloating, good nutrients getting flushed down the toilet 
• increased weight gain by eating more food and wanting to eat again sooner because your body didn’t absorb what it needed from the meal
• lower satisfaction - rushed, stressful meals never feel good

Most athletes I work with want to lose weight and get stronger.

Eating fast means you eat more calories, feel more bloating and absorb less nutrients needed to gain strength. Clearly this behavior is not helping anyone reach their goals.

But, can this sound too good to be true? What does eating slowly mean? Maybe you don’t have a lot of time to eat or you don’t want to hold anyone up if you’re eating with others. 

Here are some TINY ways you could try eating slowly - even on a trip or at a restaurant:

• Put your utensils down between bites
• Talk only when there is no food in your mouth
• Drink between bites
• Take smaller bites
• Chew your food until it’s the consistency of oatmeal
• Choose high-fiber foods like plants that take longer to chew
• Eat without distractions (TV, phones, computers)
• Challenge yourself to be the slowest eater at the table, the last one to finish eating
• Time your meal and plan to draw it out to longer than 20 min.

Experimenting with slow eating at home (breakfast or dinner), where you have more control over your environment, is a great place to start. Then take it on the road. This is a GREAT healthy eating practice that can be used anywhere without having to eliminate your favorite foods. 

Maybe eating slowly doesn’t work for your lifestyle. Maybe dinner loses its appeal if it gets lukewarm or cold. Maybe you don’t want to spend that much time thinking about food or how you eat it. Maybe you literally don’t have that kind of time in your life right now.

THAT'S OK. There are plenty of other things you can do to improve your health. I am happy to brainstorm with you about some ideas that might work better for you.

Eating slowly may sound too easy, too good to be true as a way to lose weight.
If you decide to give it a go, try it for 2 weeks daily and let me know if your body feels different - less bloating, more enjoyment, not overfeed, more energetic - or not.