At noon, the stomach signals hunger, and the body seems to be urging us to fill our stomachs as soon as possible. But do you realize that the seemingly inconspicuous detail of eating speed is quietly weaving a healthy network? The pace of modern society is suffocating, take-away riders are flying around the city, and people in the office bow their heads and chop rice quickly, as if they were racing against time, turning eating into a mechanical task. However, can our bodies, a sophisticated organic whole, really adapt to this compressed eating pattern?
From the microscopic perspective of physiology, the stomach is like a delicate sensor. At the moment when food enters the mouth, the salivary glands start the secretion mechanism and fully mix with food, which is the prelude of digestion. However, when food rushes into the stomach in a hurry, the secretion rhythm of gastric acid and pepsin is disrupted, and food cannot be fully ground and decomposed. In the long run, the gastric mucosa becomes fragile under the friction of rough food, inflammatory factors quietly gather, and the haze of stomach diseases gradually hangs over.
What is even more worrying is that there is a subtle signal pathway between the brain and the stomach. The feeling of satiety is not immediate, and it usually takes about 20 minutes to delay. If people eat too much food because of eating too fast in this critical 20 minutes, their bodies will fall into the predicament of calorie overload. Fat cells began to expand uncontrollably, the balance of metabolic system was broken, and obesity was like an open Pandora's box, which triggered a series of chain reactions of chronic diseases.
The speed of eating is not only related to the digestion and absorption at the physiological level, but also affects the psychological state more profoundly. The fast-paced eating style has alienated eating, which should be full of ritual sense, into a mechanical swallowing competition. When we cram food into our mouths in a hurry, our brains have no time to feel the temperature and taste of food, the perception of taste buds is compressed, and the pleasure of eating disappears.
What slow eaters advocate is not only a careful taste of food, but also a re-control of the pace of life. When we slow down the pace of chewing and let the food fully release its flavor in the mouth, the brain will release neurotransmitters such as endorphins, which will bring pleasure and satisfaction. This dedicated eating experience is like a dialogue between mind and body, re-establishing the intimate connection between people and food.
What is more thought-provoking is that the speed of eating is closely intertwined with social relations. With the fast food culture, the communication at the dinner table has become fragmented, and people miss the opportunity to share stories and convey their feelings in a hurry. When we slow down and have a hearty dinner with family and friends, eating is no longer just a need for survival, but a ceremony to maintain emotional ties.
In practice, we might as well start with simple changes. For example, try to chew more than 20 times on each bite of food and feel the change from rough to delicate; Put down your mobile phone at the dinner table and let your attention return to the food itself; Set a lower limit of meal time, even on a busy working day, and enjoy a lunch for at least 15 minutes.
Those cases of regaining health due to the change of eating speed are moving. An office worker who suffered from stomach trouble for a long time, after insisting on eating slowly for a month, the burning sensation in his stomach gradually subsided, and the physical examination report showed that the index of Helicobacter pylori returned to normal. And a young woman who is used to overeating, by adjusting the eating rhythm, not only has her weight steadily decreased, but her skin condition has also been completely renewed due to the improvement of metabolism.
Slowing down the speed of eating is not only caring for the stomach, but also injecting a calmness into life. When we return our attention to the temperature, taste and taste of every bite of food, we can rediscover the neglected beauty in life. This moment on the dining table may be the starting point for us to find health and happiness.
