Do you munch your food slowly or gobble everything up?
@lordwarwizard (35747)
Singapore
March 5, 2008 12:04pm CST
Do you know that spending 1-2 hours during meals promote good health?
Experts say that if you take time to munch your food slowly, there are at least 2 direct benefits. The first is that the more mashed up the food is, the less workload for your digestive system and the less taxing it is for your body. The second is that food takes time to digest. By taking your "own sweet time", you will feel full by the time you finish your meal instead of needing to snack because you think you are still hungry. And so, eating slowly prevents overeating.
I routinely gobble up my food even though no one is gonna snatch it away. But recently, I am trying hard to remember to munch it till it is almost liquid. I figure that even if it is just 4 bites per mouthful instead of 2, that is already double and it means half the workload for my digestive system.
What about you? Are you munching your food slowly now or just gobbling it all up? Any plans to change (if applicable) now that you have read the above? Do share your thoughts. =)
31 people like this
98 responses
@gemini_rose (16264)
•
5 Mar 08
I have been a slow eater all my 34 years! It used to drive my parents nuts because it would take me 45 minutes to an hour to eat all my food, many a time I would have to leave food if we went out because I just couldnt keep up! My son washes up of a night time and it frustrates him no end when he has to wait for my plate, especially if he is going out! I just cannot eat fast no matter how hard I try and if I do have to eat fast I get really bad belly ache (and wind)!
3 people like this
@AnythngArt (3302)
• United States
6 Mar 08
I agree with you. I am a slow eater, but it's everyone in my family who are always trying to rush me!
@lordwarwizard (35747)
• Singapore
5 Mar 08
Well, eating for 45 min is great!
Perhaps you can consider washing your own plate? Hehe...
2 people like this
@gemini_rose (16264)
•
5 Mar 08
I do! I just tell him not to wait for me but he doesnt like to leave a job half done!
2 people like this
@arkaf61 (10881)
• Canada
6 Mar 08
My Lord I am a very slow eater. I like to chew and taste each thing slowly and with pleasure :)
I find that a lot of gastro problems nowadays come a lot from the fast paced life we live that includes the meals as well.
Back home we used to take a long time with our meals. We would eat and talk and pass the food and comment on how good it was and by the end we were finished often one hour had passed.
I have had to pick up the pace since I came here and I don't like it one bit. I hardly have time to taste it:)
@GardenGerty (160952)
• United States
9 Mar 08
A few years back we went out of town for a special occasion and we ate at a Japanese steak house where they entertain and cook with you sitting there. First a little rice, your veggies, and shrimp, and little bites of this and that. We started the meal eight strangers around a large grill with our chef, and two or more hours later we left, friends, relaxed, full and satisfied, but not so overfull that we could not breathe. We had enough food to make us happy.
2 people like this
@arkaf61 (10881)
• Canada
6 Mar 08
Probably one that couldn't hold a decent and polite conversation LOL
Meals should be something relaxing and enjoyable - it's good for digestion :)
They should not be hurried - your stomach doesn't like it too much - and chewing properly certainly should be a requirement hehehehe
2 people like this
@lordwarwizard (35747)
• Singapore
6 Mar 08
I wonder which crappy guy thought of the "No talking while eating" rule lol. :P
2 people like this
@wolfie34 (26771)
• United Kingdom
5 Mar 08
I have always been a slow eater, and I am always the last to finish my meal, because I chew slowly and I appreciate the tastes of the food more, you savour the food, when you swallow quickly you haven't had time to let your taste buds really appreciate the food that you are eating. I also get indigestion if I eat too quickly. With my ex it was like watching a cement mixer and it was gulp, gulp gulp gone, I would still be on my starter and he'd be waiting for dessert it was that quick! Food has to be appreciated and enjoyed not sped through like a chore.
3 people like this
@lordwarwizard (35747)
• Singapore
7 Mar 08
Hot and alive? What do you mean? You bbq humans alive?
*GASP*
@lordwarwizard (35747)
• Singapore
6 Mar 08
A shining example to all the werewolves out there...
On the flip sides, if wolves munch their victims slowly... geez, do you eat them while they are still alive?!!
*GASP*
J/K:P
@SViswan (12051)
• India
6 Mar 08
I'm kind of in between in this one. I don't gobble down food unless it's something I like. Most of the time...I have an average pace...but 1-2 hours is too much for a meal. I do munch on my food....but not twenty times for each mouthful (I read that's how many times you should chew). And 15 minutes is my average meal time.
My sons seem to be gobblers though.
3 people like this
@charms88 (7538)
• Philippines
6 Mar 08
If I'm real hungry, I tend to gobble up on my food. But that only happened on rare occasion. Most of the time, I munch my food slowly for about 15 to 20 minutes.
I'm not sure where you read the article. Don't you think 1 to 2 hours is too long? I recall a doctor friend told me that we should allot 20 minutes to take our meals. Afterwards, it will take another 20 minutes for our food to go down to our digestive system.
3 people like this
@Wario_1 (965)
• Sweden
5 Mar 08
I am very mutch a muncher, i mostly think of food as something you eat and get done with. The thought of sitting and chewing on your food until its like liquid doesnt work for me, id rather freaking use a blender and make some wierd liquid sh*t out of it.
Id dont rush my food, i rather eat in a little faster because i want to do alot more stuff than just eat food.
3 people like this
@lordwarwizard (35747)
• Singapore
5 Mar 08
But geez, if you pour your food into a blender and eat the resulting product, I think you will puke! :P
3 people like this
@Wario_1 (965)
• Sweden
5 Mar 08
Wanna beat, i got stronger guts than you think. ive sometimes eaten stuff ive found, inkluding candy, icecream, hamburger(i just tasted that one) and a kebab roll. I dont think id puke, but id not like the texture, and the taste would probably be wierd also.
3 people like this
@cuttyrish (2667)
• United States
6 Mar 08
it depends, i gobble my food when i am rushing, like for example i am late for class. When i have enough time, i munch my food slowly. thanks for sharing this info, i would try to munch for my food slowly so that my digestive system would not be so tired.
@Ohara_1983 (4117)
• Kuwait
5 Mar 08
wow, i think this will be good idea, but if your in a hurry or busy i think it will not exist, but still love to try to eat or take time in table.& im munching my food but not too long.
3 people like this
@ESKARENA1 (18261)
•
5 Mar 08
oh yes my friend, food is one of the joys of life and deserves our full attention
blessed be
2 people like this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
6 Mar 08
I am a slow food eater, & have been for many years now. I dont think I was always always slow. I can;t remember when the change in my eating habits came about, but most likely it was over a period of time.
I am one of the last to finish a meal, although my 9 year old step daughter is slower than me.
I really love food, & like savour every taste.
@lordwarwizard (35747)
• Singapore
6 Mar 08
Maybe you watched a program that said eating slowly is good but you can't remember it now.:P
@byfaithonly (10698)
• United States
5 Mar 08
I'm guilty of geing a gobbler - it just always seems there are 5 million other things that need my attention so it's eat as fast as possible and move on to the next thing.
I am going to try working on this as you are right - it would be much healthier for me.
@MateiMonica (199)
•
5 Mar 08
I know it so right. I am using it to improve the health, to avoid problems, or to avoid those peoples that don't know nothing about human life through a proper food.
@lordwarwizard (35747)
• Singapore
5 Mar 08
So you are munching slowly for better digestion? That's cool.:)
2 people like this
@tinkerick (1257)
• United States
5 Mar 08
I know when I'm hungry I have the bad habit of wolfing down my food. My hubby does that too. If you catch yourself in time you can tell yourself to slooow down and breathe. I have to especially remind myself with Chinese food. We don't get it very often because my hubby doesn't like it. So only on certain occasions do I get it for myself and the kids. It's such a yummy treat that I tend to inhale it. Much to the protest of my whole digestive system!
But my body recovers quickly, and I'm hungry again in another 2 hours.~:D
~Tink
3 people like this
@lordwarwizard (35747)
• Singapore
5 Mar 08
Well, smell is part of the food.
And I think you like Chinese food so much because you don't eat it often.:P
2 people like this
@steffyhoney (706)
• United States
6 Mar 08
I usually munch my food right down. When I eat im usually starving. Or Im in a hurry to get somewhere. I try to take my time but it doesnt always work that way. Ive been trying to take my time in eating but I just cant. I guess just out of bad habit. With summer coming im hoping to do a lot of different things though.
3 people like this
@limcyjain (3516)
• India
16 Mar 08
I know that one should chew food properly to keep minimum load on the digestive system but i would say that i am not munching up food all the time sometimes when i am in a hurry i do gooble up food. I would like to add one thing here that one should not take water along with food. Take water half an hour earlier or an hour after your meals. This too helps in proper digestion.
2 people like this
@chrislotz (8137)
• Canada
19 Mar 08
I eat my food very slowly because I like the taste of it and want to enjoy ever bite. I have known about the things you talk about here, but they are none of the reasons why I eat slowly, except I get fuller faster and eat less this way. But the main reason is for the taste. My husband, on the other hand, gobbles his food down like someone is going to steal it from him, if he doesn't eat it all down fast. I get mad at him sometimes when he does that because he then makes more of a mess and sometimes he makes a lot of noises gobbling it down.
2 people like this
@lordwarwizard (35747)
• Singapore
20 Mar 08
Indeed, when you eat slowly, you are better able to appreciate the taste of the food. 
1 person likes this
@sminut13 (1783)
• Singapore
5 Mar 08
wow you gave me good news here. i always used to get scoldings for being a really slow eater. i am the munching slowly type you could say.
but besides munching slowly, i also put very little into my mouth thus, my rice and all tend to finish very slow. and i can't eat too much. i did think that eating slowly tended to make you fuller faster and thus, you tended to eat a little less but was not too sure.
i am sure glad to know that at least, eating slowly is not bad. there are benefits to it too. thanks so much and have a great day.
@lordwarwizard (35747)
• Singapore
6 Mar 08
Well, convince yourself you are right! ^^
1 person likes this
