Take Control of Your Health

Lessons From The Slow Food Movement

by Joseph Mercola, D.O., with Rachel Droege

Lee Swanson

Dr. Joseph Mercola of Mercola.com

Can the act of eating slower change your life? Maybe so.

The Slow Food Movement grew out of Italy, some two decades ago, to counter the encroaching fast food movement. But it is not just about slow-cooked, healthy food—it's an entire lifestyle. Eating slower has several benefits that, overall, may pave the way to a more fulfilling existence. What can you gain from slowing down at mealtime?

Lose weight.
Eating slowly gives your body the time it needs to register that it's full, which curbs overeating.

Gastronomic pleasure.
You have to eat—why not make it an enjoyable experience?

Improved digestion.
Digestion starts in the mouth, so the more you chew, the less work your stomach needs to do.

Reduced stress!
No time to defrag and meditate? Let mealtime be your moment of mindful being.

Connect.
Connect with the people around you.

Lee Swanson

The modern lifestyle is built around speed, but as countless studies have shown, living the fast life may rob you of the good life. Once in a while, it's good to stop and ask yourself, "Am I living my life fully, or am I just rushing through it?"

Incorporating the habit of eating slower can be that first step to a more relaxed, more fulfilling life—that moment each day when you "stop and smell the roses," if you will. Slowing down your eating will also help you better digest your food, as you will be chewing it more and mixing it with salivary digestive enzymes. Additionally, chewing helps stimulate intestinal digestive enzyme release.

People are slowly but surely beginning to recognize that certain "slow" times are a vital part of life—without them, you are missing some of the most important reasons for being alive. Once those moments have passed, you can't get them back at a later "more convenient time."

Eating slower also goes right along with the lifestyle of eating healthier food rather than zipping through the nearest fast food joint. This combination of healthier selections, together with slowing down the whole eating process (and sharing time with others), can put you squarely on the right track toward a healthier body, mind and emotional state. When you take the time and eat the right fuel that your body needs, your overall health will improve in many profound ways. You can expect to:

  • Optimize your weight
  • Look and feel younger
  • Feel satisfied and reduce or eliminate cravings
  • Improve your emotional well-being
  • Increase your energy throughout the day
  • Enjoy stronger general health and immune defenses
  • Live years longer with a higher quality of life

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