It has pretty much been accepted that by eating slowly you end up eating less. Reasons for this are plentiful, including the fact that we base our consumption on time spent eating not amount eaten, and the idea that it gives our bodies more time to digest the food and thus release the chemicals telling us we’re full.
But a new concept has emerged – one of interval eating. Interval training in exercise refers to interspersing periods of very high intensity exercise with periods of very low intensity exercise or rest. Interval training increases energy expenditure by maximising the length of time your body is operating at a higher metabolic rate after exercise has stopped. Interval eating does the opposite, it reduces total energy intake.
Here’s how to do it. Start your meal by eating at your normal speed. After eating at a normal speed for a couple of minutes, slow down and eat the rest of your meal slowly. That’s it. The research tells us that this pattern of eating will result in a reduction of appetite and a lower overall caloric intake.
This technique is just so easy to complete. It asks nothing of you other than just doing it. No preparation, no time, no money.
Sourced from: ’59 Seconds’, Professor Richard Wiseman. Pan Publishing, 2010.
