When it comes to eating healthy, the focus is usually on what you can and can’t eat.

But what if you could get huge benefits by changing how you eat?

When you eat do you often feel tired or low in energy afterwards?

It may be down to eating too fast.

Of course what you eat matters, but eating slowly is one of the best bag for your buck strategies to improve your health.

The problem we face is that the world we live in makes it all too easy to eat too quickly. 

Somehow eating feels like we are wasting time and we need to hurry up and finish so we can focus on being busy and doing more important tasks.

But as you may know by now, I’m a nature lover. And when we look to nature, it does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.

It only takes an extra few minutes to eat a bit more slowly. Yet the health impacts can be profound.

And the science proves this with regards to our health. 

Powerful reasons to eat more slowly

1. Fat loss: a growing number of studies show that eating slowly can help lose up to 20 pounds a year without doing anything different or eating anything different. The likely reason is that it takes 20 minutes for our brains to realise we are full and eating slower gives us time to realise this.
2. Better Digestion: digestion starts in the mouth and the slower you eat the more you chew your food. The body uses a great deal of energy digesting food and the quicker you eat, the harder your digestive system has to work.
3. Less Stress: stress is linked to many health problems. When we eat quickly and think about what task we want to do next we are putting unnecessary stress on our minds and bodies.

So what’s the best way to start eating slower? Start small. 

Simple strategies to eat slower

1. Breathe: take a few deep breaths just before you start eating. This automatically puts you into ‘rest and digest’ rather than ‘fight or flight’. Also, you can try taking a deep breath in between each bite.
2. Put the fork or spoon down after each bite: a physical act such as this helps to make it less likely that you will eat quickly and forces you to focus and enjoy eating.
3. Avoid too many distractions: it’s all too easy to end up eating mindlessly whilst being distracted by a screen. Try not to eat at your desk or watch TV or play with your phone.

Take small, consistent action

Don’t be hard on yourself if you struggle with this – I still do. Most of what you do is habit and if you’re in the habit of eating quickly it’s hard to break out of. So start with just one tip above and take action.