Eating slowly will prevent weight gain: The relationship between thorough chewing and satiety

Chewing thoroughly and eating slowly allows you to savor the deliciousness of food. Furthermore, texture and the sensation of food passing through the throat are also important factors that enhance the flavor of food. Eating without chewing properly, simply stuffing food into the stomach, is the same way animals do. Only by savoring food slowly can humans eat properly, and this also prevents overeating. Chewing stimulates the brain, increasing its activity and producing a sense of satisfaction, but in reality, the calories consumed are 1.6 times higher. Eating slowly naturally requires thorough chewing, which promotes saliva production. When food and saliva are fully mixed, it promotes digestion and reduces the burden on the stomach. Saliva contains not only digestive enzymes but also immune substances that fight bacteria and components that reduce the effects of carcinogens. This is why animals lick their wounds when injured, and why humans unconsciously lick their injured fingers.

An experiment comparing slow and fast eating revealed that the feeling of satisfaction comes from eating slowly for about eight minutes. Conversely, fast eaters, although finishing their food in seven minutes, do not experience a feeling of fullness. This leads to cravings for a second or third bowl of rice, resulting in overeating. Fast eaters consume large quantities of food at once with less chewing, causing the stomach to feel full before the satiety center has fully activated. Food that is not properly chewed before being sent to the stomach prevents digestive enzymes from working at their optimal pace, thus delaying the rise in blood sugar levels.

For example, a person's "appropriate amount" might be a bowl of rice. However, if this bowl of rice is eaten before the satiety center registers it, a feeling of fullness cannot be achieved. As a result, the person will crave a second and a third bowl of rice, leading to overeating. Besides absorbing enzymes from food and raising blood sugar levels, the satiety center also receives various signals such as stomach wall expansion and the secretion of digestive hormones, before transmitting the "I'm full" message to the brain. This process usually occurs 20 to 30 minutes after starting to eat.

Spending more than 20 minutes eating will prevent you from overeating. The most important condition for the satiety center in the appetite control system to function properly is to eat slowly. Eating slowly is what creates a feeling of fullness. Please refer to Chapter 2. By simply spending more time eating slowly, at a pace of 20 minutes to an hour, you can suppress your appetite and reduce your food intake. Some people say, "Losing weight is actually very simple; instead of the troublesome task of calculating calories, it's better to spend more time eating," and that's the reason.

However, what happens when you force yourself to restrict your diet in an attempt to lose weight quickly? The lack of calories in the brain disrupts the appetite center, resulting in a decreased metabolism. A body with a disordered appetite center is more prone to weight gain and less likely to lose weight. When you realize "this won't work" and embark on a strict diet, it further disrupts the appetite center, lowering metabolism and creating a vicious cycle. Overeating due to rebound weight gain after extreme dieting is a classic example of a disordered appetite center. Appetite is inherently a desire that cannot be suppressed even if you try. Because living beings are born with this instinct to survive, it will exert its full force when faced with life-threatening situations.

If the brain could speak, it would surely shout, "Don't be fooled by medicine!" In other words, it needs to replenish adequate calories-that is, eat foods that provide energy. Calorie deficiency is crucial for survival because during the creation of the body, even while sleeping, the brain and nervous system are constantly working. For example, the heart needs to beat, blood needs to circulate, and various bodily functions require energy-this is basal metabolism. Excessively restricting one's diet not only harms health but can also lead to the dangers of overeating or food refusal.