ADD A DOZEN HEALTHY HAPPY YEARS TO YOUR LIFE

If you wonder if exercising for an hour on the treadmill each day may be required, fear not. Continuing to walk to work every day may almost be enough. Handling a kitchen tool in an up and down motion for a number of times each meal may be all the additional exercise that is required. The quality of mindfulness that we bring to our eating habits will greatly affect what we obtain from our food.

According to a study conducted at the University of Rhode Island and reported in the North American Association for the Study of Obesity, volunteer female college students ate pasta to the point of “comfortable fullness.” In one condition, the researcher instructed the women to eat as fast as possible. In the second condition, the instructions were to eat slowly, putting the fork down with each bite.

Afterwards, researchers calculated that the first group consumed an average of 646 calories in nine minutes while the second group consumed an average of 579 calories in 29 minutes. Interviews with the women an hour later indicated that the first and fast eaters showed that the fast eaters were now less satisfied and were still hungry while the slow eaters felt satisfied. Eat slowly, eat less, and enjoy it more – that is the secret.

The up and down motion of the fork or other small tool used gives the eater a sense of quiet good manners and a moment to comment on the enjoyment of the meal and the pleasure of eating together with the family.

The tummy also must be delighted with those few extra seconds to sort out this hasty arrival of food, and has to order helper cells to hurry those calories into the fat cells warehouse. This can increase more fat cells over time with an extra burden for the body to take care of and create that feeling of exhaustion throughout the entire body that may create a need for more sleep. As a little reminder create a little “fork rest” for fun.