5 Powerful Reasons to Eat Slower

Isobel Says:

July 13th, 2007, 6:54 am

Couldn’t agree more, Leo. You’ve mentioned paying attention to what you’re eating in #2 and #4 above. That means no TV, no reading, no playing with toys, no mobile (cell) phones … etc. I think one of the main things to stress is that when you eat, just eat and don’t do anything else at the same time, except have some good conversation at the table.

Tracey Says:

July 13th, 2007, 8:18 am

Taking the time to enjoy and savour our food most definitely offers so many benefits. Everything in life is too fast, too fleeting…it’s time to slow down again. Lovely post!!

Anbu Says:

July 13th, 2007, 8:40 am

Goooooood Post!!!

Marc Says:

July 13th, 2007, 9:46 am

Great (tasting?) post as always, Leo.

Probably another reason we eat quickly too is that our lives are so busy that we don’t find the time to eat when we are hungry (such as having a snack between meals), so by the time we do eat we are ravenous and eat too fast. This happens to me at work quite often, as I don’t have a set lunch hour and sometimes eat lunch late due to being in the middle of some task.

I’d add one more benefit of eating slow - spending more time with your family. If I eat too quickly, my wife (who eats very slowly) is sitting at the table by herself as I start to clean up or if I’m feeling really polite ;), I sit at the table and have to wait for her to finish.

I’ve been having some digestion problems lately, so I’ll try eating slower to see if this helps.

Mark Andersen Says:

July 13th, 2007, 10:21 am

I’ve been telling my family this for years, but still they chow down like starving barbarians, then complain that their new diet isn’t working.

Grayson De Ritis Says:

July 13th, 2007, 10:39 am

I’d get flack from friends when I was younger about how I take my time when eating and am always the last one to finish. It’s a combination of me eating more than everyone else but also enjoying it and not rushing things. Excellent post, Leo.

Trevor Hill Says:

July 13th, 2007, 10:58 am

Please set a good example and change this title to read “more SLOWLY”. As I’m sure you know, the current title is very poor English.

Shine Says:

July 13th, 2007, 12:19 pm

This post also echos the Be In The Moment post of yesterday, right. Enjoy what you are eating, enjoy what you are doing. Enjoy the moment and live to the full.

Leo Says:

July 13th, 2007, 17:58 pm

@Trevor Hill: Actually, the headline isn’t incorrect. Although “slowly” is more commonly used as an adverb (as in “eat slowly”), the word “slow” can also be used as an adverb (it’s commonly thought of only as an adjective, but this is incorrect).

The rule here is to let your ear guide you. Of course, I wouldn’t say “You should eat slow to lose weight” — “eat slowly” sounds better here. But when you use the comparative form of each adverb in this sentence, “eat more slowly” sounds OK but a little stilted, while “eat slower” sounds a little more conversational to me.

That said, as a writer, I often break the rules of grammar on purpose to sound more conversational. I think rules are meant to be broken, and if you develop your ear to hear conversation rather than a grammar book, you should let your ear guide you.

Thanks for bringing that up — I always love a writing discussion!

p.s. just to back myself up on this, I looked it up — from “Garner’s Modern American Usageby Bryan Garner”:

“Slow has long been treated as an immediate adverb, i.e., one not requiring the -ly suffix. It is ill-informed pedantry to insist that slow can be only an adjective. Though slowly is the more common adverb, and is certainly correct, slow is often just as good in the adverbial sense.”

anne non ee muss Says:

July 13th, 2007, 21:21 pm

the point is MORE

Leo Says:

July 13th, 2007, 21:39 pm

More what?

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July 13th, 2007, 22:02 pm

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Riley Says:

July 13th, 2007, 22:48 pm

There are no solid arguments here. I disagree with everything written. There’s a difference between eating like a mook and eating like an intelligent species. Enjoying your food is a matter of opinion, therefore that is not an argument.

Christine Says:

July 14th, 2007, 0:26 am

Riley, scientific studies have been done that demonstrate that people who are required to eat slowly are satisfied with eating less food. Therefore, if one is trying to diet, it might help to try to eat slowly and mindfully.

I’ve heard this advice forever but always thought it was dumb. But then I read it in Judith Beck’s diet book (she’s a cognitive therapist). Her argument is that much of our sense of “fullness” comes from sitting down, seeing all of our food, and savoring it slowly. I tried it and it works.

Random Dude Says:

July 14th, 2007, 3:56 am

what about frosted flakes?!?

Watch TV Says:

July 14th, 2007, 3:58 am

I’m not so sure about losing weight by doing that because you’ll still be in-taking the same amount of food so it would still be the same amount of calories and fat. But perhaps eating slower allows time for the body to better process and digest the food as opposed to eating it quickly and the body not knowing what to do with the food so it just turns it into sugar which increases fat content…???

Leo Says:

July 14th, 2007, 10:00 am

@Watch TV: What the studies I linked to show is that you actually eat less food by eating slower. And as I indicated in the article, the reason is that your mind doesn’t get the signal that you’re full until about 20 minutes after the fact.

Leo Says:

July 14th, 2007, 10:03 am

@Riley: The arguments of losing weight, better digestion and having less stress are all solid arguments. You might not agree with the “enjoy your food” argument (and it is an argument), but it’s still a reason, and that’s all this article promised — 5 reasons to eat slower — not 5 reasons you’ll agree with. :)

Hannes Says:

July 14th, 2007, 18:26 pm

Good post, I really think it’s important to be able to eat slowly.

However, I do not agree with the idea that you shouldn’t do anything else while eating. I actually think reading, watching a video or surfing the net while eating will make it easier for you to eat slowly and really be able to enjoy your food. As long as the chosen activity is something that you enjoy doing of course.

Why is that then? Well, I think for many people the reason that they eat too fast is because they want to be done with it as quickly as possible to be able to use their time for other activities. But if you’re already doing something you enjoy while eating there is no rush do be done with it as quickly as possible.

Note though that this is mostly for when you’re eating alone and probably not such a great idea when eating with friends or family. Unless you all want to enjoy a movie or something together :)

Leo Says:

July 14th, 2007, 18:58 pm

@Hannes … I hear you. And I’m not saying that everybody should follow this suggestion, especially not every time. I too enjoy a good book or DVD with food … but sometimes, it’s actually quite refreshing to put everything else aside and just focus on the food. I’d suggest giving it a try, at least once … no need to change your whole life. :)

You make some great points … thanks for contributing!

Trevor Hill Says:

July 14th, 2007, 20:55 pm

Leo: Holy crap; you appear to be correct. I guess I’m an ill-informed pedant. Well, if one abuses any rule of grammar long enough, it becomes acceptable. That’s probably how this exception became somehow unobjectionable.

I don’t mind being a newly-well-informed pedant, however, so I’ll still suggest that preferring colloquial and _usually_ incorrect forms over the proper forms tends to point people with weak grammar in the wrong direction, and contribute to the decline of good usage in general, a decline which we are clearly in the midst of at the moment. ;)

Leo Says:

July 14th, 2007, 21:21 pm

@Trevor: I hear what you’re saying … however, in my view, language is alive … it changes over time (obviously, if you read Shakespeare and Chaucer, for example) … and the real authority on any language is how it’s spoken, not how it’s written. The dictionary (and grammar book) should reflect the spoken language, not the other way around.

New words come into our language all the time … from other languages, from pop culture, from technology (”googled” being a famous one that pops into mind), from subcultures (think hip hop, beatniks, hippies, punks, etc.) … from all kinds of sources.

Even from writers themselves. Shakespeare himself invented more words than anyone in history. :) He’s not a bad model, in my mind.

Thanks for your input, Trevor … this is a great discussion. :)

William Profet :: OneJobTwoSalaries.com Says:

July 14th, 2007, 21:31 pm

It is hard for the modern man :) to eat slowly (because of the consistent stress and hurry) but these reasons are good enough to motivate me start doing it!

Thanks, Leo.

Regards,
William

Rob O. Says:

July 15th, 2007, 6:53 am

I’ve also found that, in addition to eating more slowly, you can get more out of your food by not drinking during your meals. You’d be amazed at how much more flavor you’ll notice when you aren’t chasing every bite or two down with gulps of tea, water, or such.

When choosing to not drink with your meals, spicy foods take on a whole new meaning. You may find that you aren’t nearly so tough with the hot Mexican cuisine as you might’ve thought if you don’t immediately extinguish the peppery flames with a frosty beverage…

Abhijit Says:

July 15th, 2007, 12:53 pm

This is off topic - but I’m just curious: What is the dish in that picture? :)

Will Says:

July 15th, 2007, 13:55 pm

Im guilty of eating fast…. After reading this im definitely going to try and make a conscious effort to slow down. I’ll be interested to see if it helps my digestion as thats something I suffer from :(.

Trevor Hill Says:

July 15th, 2007, 14:51 pm

Leo - language does change and evolve. But there’s a difference between adding or borrowing new words and changing the grammatical rules that we use to understand what those words mean when they’re put together.

I certainly don’t expect language to stay the same over long periods of time. It never has. I do believe, however, that there are benefits to maintaining the ‘protocol’ by which we communicate as best we can, and in attempting to slow its change. I also am not a linguistic relativist, in the sense that I do think some rules are better than others, and learned language is worth promoting over colloquial language.

A completely hands-off attitude toward our language is the same as not voting - we should attempt to maintain and promote that which we think is valuable and effective in both spheres. If none of us asks our neighbor to pick up their gum wrapper, we may see our environment ‘evolve’ into something we don’t really want. ;)

Since this has been completely off-topic, let me put in a substantive note about the post — I agree that eating more slowly is a great idea. One way to do that is to eat _less_. When one spreads a smaller amount of food out over a longer length of time, one tends to eat it more slowly and with more attention. :)

Leo Says:

July 15th, 2007, 17:48 pm

@Abhijit: It’s vegetarian lasagna. I didn’t cook it or take the photo. :)

Leo Says:

July 15th, 2007, 17:59 pm

@Trevor: while there is a difference between adding new words and changing the rules of grammar that govern them, they are part of the same process of evolution. The rules of grammar change all the time, and I think we should acknowledge that and go with it.

While taking a hands-off attitude towards language may be analogous to not voting, you can’t accuse me of that. :) I’m voting — for spoken language over written. It is a fact, and always has been, that spoken language is the authority over written language, and that grammar books and dictionaries only try to capture what is spoken, not the other way around. And as long as something sounds more conversational to me, that’s what I’ll vote for. (Notice the grammatically incorrect sentence preceding this one — it sounds better to me.)

You’re right, though, that this discussion is very off-topic, and I’ll stop now. As I said, I always enjoy a good writing discussion. :)

Christine Says:

July 15th, 2007, 21:03 pm

Frankly, gentleman, in my opinion, the title of this article should have been “5 Powerful Reasons to Eat Slowly.” Both “slower” and “more slowly” implies that we are all already eating slowly. And I know I have to consciously stop myself from wolfing my food.

(Hee hee! I love talking words too. Thanks, guys.)

Leo Says:

July 15th, 2007, 21:13 pm

@Christine: Actually, I considered that. But to me, “slowly” doesn’t have any meaning … how slow is “slowly”? I’d have to come up with a chewing rate or something absurd like that. :)

The reason I said “slower” is that it has a practical application: take the speed of your eating now, and slow it down a bit. How much really depends on how far you want to take it. I am not going to prescribe a rate.

I also considered that “slower” or “more slowly” implies that you already eat slowly … but in fact, it doesn’t necessarily. If I eat quickly now (let’s say at a rate of one chew per second - lol) then eating at a slower rate (1 chew every 2 seconds?) is “eating slower”. Whether you eat quickly or slowly now, eating at a slower rate is “eating slower”.

OK, I thought I said I’d stop this discussion! :) I guess I can’t help myself.

Zen Zoomie Says:

July 15th, 2007, 23:10 pm

This is sooo true, but sooo hard to do! It really takes a conscious effort. I find that avoiding eating standing up or while you’re doing something else is a good start to keep you from mindlessly gulping down your chow.

Zia Says:

July 16th, 2007, 7:40 am

Great post

Request please: can I post this content on my blog (with due credit of course)?

Thanks

Glen Says:

July 24th, 2007, 0:24 am

Oh man, this one speaks loud and clear to me. Great post Leo!

Kanamara Says:

July 26th, 2007, 22:56 pm

Eat with chopsticks.

youlki22 Says:

August 4th, 2007, 5:31 am

Goog post. I want you all to go to this post, at my blog, and at the bottom you would notice that an acupressure therapy specialist suggests good eating habits.

When a journalist

I am linking your post to my article.

grace Says:

August 4th, 2007, 20:18 pm

thank you for reminding me of by gone years when sitting at the table with family was a routine not an exception.

monica Says:

August 8th, 2007, 10:02 am

Fantastic post. Great tips. I’m a slow eater, but it took me a while to get here. Your post prompted me to reflect on my previous life as a fast eater. My stomach hurts at the thought! Hope you don’t mind me quoting you on my website. I love this post and just had to share! Thanks!

Louis Says:

December 25th, 2007, 6:48 am

This is a wonderful post. I am a fast eater. I gulp down food very fast without even chewing it well. With what I’ve read in here, I am motivated to change my eating habits.

Kieren Says:

January 10th, 2008, 6:04 am

I’ve found that when you eat with others, you tend to talk and eat slower. The slower eating satisfies my hunger better than if i were to dine alone and eat fast. Also, something about the idea of sharing the eating experience makes you full quicker, than if you are greedy and eat alone, you tend to consume more food at one sitting.

Mel Says:

April 29th, 2008, 21:43 pm

Great post - and I’d encourage anyone to also check out Carmen Yuen’s 2006 book The Cosmos in a Carrot - all about mindfulness in eating and prep. Fabulous!

Hammad Says:

May 3rd, 2008, 13:51 pm

couldnt agree more with you. you are absolutely right
thanks for such a nice information

Lose Fat Says:

May 15th, 2008, 13:41 pm

I love how eating slower helps you eat less and lose weight

DR Says:

July 7th, 2008, 17:01 pm

Mindful eating is a powerful tool.

Powerful, yet surprisingly difficult for most of my obese clients to incorporate into their lives.

You would think that sitting at a table and taking your time to enjoy a meal prepared with care wouldn’t be such a chore. But for a lot of people, it is.

My favorite trick is to get people to use their knife & fork in opposite hands. It forces them to concentrate, slow down, actually enjoy the food.

A pleasant side effect is that they always eat less food, lose body-fat and strangely enough develop some co-ordination in their non-dominant hand

trevis Says:

July 23rd, 2008, 10:59 am

One of the problems of our lives is that many of us constantly where a hurry. And when there is free time, we fling on greed for food.

All of this leads to stress and disease.

So this post is very useful for us, thanks.

Juan Says:

July 28th, 2008, 14:46 pm

I have been convinced for a long time that eating slowly can help you lose weight; I have invented and patented (US 7,176,426) a plate called Heat Retentive Plate that keeps your food hot at the table for full enjoyment, this allows you to eat slowly without worrying about your food getting cold.
Production samples are being made in China and will be on the market soon.
Just type: “Heat Retentive Plates” on your browser if you are curious.
Juan

Pedro Says:

September 15th, 2008, 16:53 pm

I eat a lot fast and i am (too much) thin -.-

14 Y. old

Miss Gisele B| myBeautyMatch.com Says:

September 30th, 2008, 5:54 am

Excellent post. I have given a stumble to your post.

Pills Bury - Free Quick Weight Loss Tips Says:

October 23rd, 2008, 15:35 pm

Eat slow, take time to savor it. It certainly takes a long time to prepare it!

Diana Rupert Says:

November 12th, 2008, 0:05 am

Eating slow helps us to gain more nutrients in the food we eat. But as some said that they more people have been busy that results a rush to eat their food. They must have a good time management to avoid it. And it was cool to eat with friends and relatives to enjoy more eating foods. Surely it will take your stress out. Thank you