To dey eat slowly fit benefit your health?

Although e dey easy to eat on autopilot - to pay attention to your television or your mobile phone - science show say to eat slowly and mindfully fit make a difference.

Di pace wey we dey take eat fit impact our lives, from digestion and satisfaction to weight management and overall health.

Digestion

Livia Hasegawa, nutritionist wey bin train for University of São Paulo, Brazil explain say "to chew food slowly dey help break am down into smaller pieces and e dey help make digestion easier. Sometimes I dey remind my patients wit simple analogy: stomach no get teeth, so wen food drop in large chunks, di digestive process dey dey slower and less efficient".

She say "additionally, chewing dey stimulate production of digestive enzymes for saliva, and help improve nutrient absorption".

If dem no chew food veri well, di stomach go do extra work to digest am, dis fit lead to bloating and sluggish digestion.

"Dis na why pipo dey feel bloated and sluggish for some hours dem eat," na so Hasegawa tok.

Although experts no tok how long pesin suppose chew im food, dem dey advise make e reach a veri soft and manageable size bifor you swallow am.

"Additionally if pesin dey eat and dey distracted - weda by watching TV, using phone or to dey tok excessively- e fit negatively impact chewing. Dis dey lead to faster eating and swallowing more air, wey fit cause bloating", na so she add.

Satisfaction and weight gain

Weight gain na anoda tin wey dey follow di effects of digestion.

"To eat quickly dey lead to faster energy intake, wey dey cause pesin to consume more calories per minute. Research show say di rapid intake dey cause pesin to overeat," Sander Kersten tok. She be director of Division Nutritional Sciences and Schleifer Family Professor for Cornell University for New York.

She say to eat more slowly dey prolong di time food dey spend for mouth, dey enhance sensory signals wey dey trigger early digestive responses and hormone release.

"Di brain dey take few minutes to release hormones wey dey responsible for satisfaction. Pipo wey dey eat too quickly dey consume more food dan dem actually need, becos dia body no get enough time to signal say dem don dey full."

Di result na excess of calories, wey eventually dey dey converted to stored fat for di bodi.

Long-term health risks

To eat quickly fit worsen digestive issues like acid reflux and gastritis. Additionally, pipo wey dey prone to reflux fit worsen dia situation sake of say dem dey rush eating.

"Anoda crucial factor na di impact on di gut microbiota. Wen food don reach di intestine in large chunks, e fit disrupt di balance of gut bacteria, come affect di overall digestive system ", na so Hasegawa tok.

She add say if dis habit become consistent especially wen dem mix am wit oda unhealthy behaviours, e go lead to obesity, e go significantly increase di risk of various metabolic complications, including type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, heart disease and high blood pressure and even oda types of cancer like colorectal, breast and pancreatic.

Tips to slow down your eating

For pipo wey wan develop better eating habits, Hasegawa first tip na to put your utensils down between bites.

"No hold your fork or spoon di whole time, unto say e fit make you wan eat faster and you no go realise am," Hasegawa tok.

"Just simple act of resting your utensils for table and pick am up again, go help slow tins down. So dat na di first point - use your utensils, take a bite, and den let dem rest bifor di next one."

Hasegawa also recommend make pesin dey chew food until e don dey soft and and almost dey mushy texture for mouth.

"Dat texture show say you dey chew thoroughly and e dey naturally slow down your pace."

According to Hasegawa, avoiding distractions na must do.

"To dey watch TV or scroll through phone while you dey eat fit make you loose track of how much and how fast you dey eat. Stay mindful and present, e dey help."

"Try not to tok too much while eating. Conversations fit distract you and speed up your eating and you fit no notice am.

"So to keep di chat minimal fit help you stay connected to your meal," na so Hasegawa tok.