Are you guilty of eating too fast?
If you’re a naturally a slow eater, please share your secrets. We’ll update our post with your suggestions. For many of us, being a ‘fast eater’ is instinctual – even a point of pride. We’ve all heard the story of growing up in a large family where siblings needed to ‘fight’ for their share of food on the table. But these days, scarfing down our food is the cultural norm. That’s right in line with fast food, fast service, fast delivery, fast prep and fast cook – all to keep up with our fast-paced, on-demand way of life.
What’s the big deal?
Eating too quickly is a common cause of overeating. It takes about 20 minutes for our bodies and brains to register the food we consume. In much the same way that our hormonal system tells us we’re hungry by releasing ghrelin (the hunger hormone), it also releases leptin (the satiety/fullness hormone) when we’re full. When we eat too quickly, it increases the likelihood that we’ll eat past our natural satiety signals, giving us that physical discomfort of feeling stuffed.
What is mindful eating?
In contrast to eating without giving it much thought (mindless eating), mindful eating is the practice of consuming each bite with a deliberate celebration of the nourishment and satisfaction it brings us.
What are the benefits of mindful eating?
In the same way that meditation can help us conquer different aspects of our hectic lives, mindful eating offers a range of benefits that can improve our health and our relationship with food, including:
- increased enjoyment
- reduced stress
- improved digestion
- reduced calories
- weight loss
- reduced food cravings
- reduced episodes of overeating
- reduced episodes of binge eating
A meal companion app for mindful eating.
Many resources will teach you how to eat mindfully, but LUMME’s all-new Mindful Eating app will show you how — bite by bite, minute by minute. It’s also gamified when used with a smartwatch (Apple/Wear OS by Google). The objective is to reduce your bite sizes and adjust your eating pace to match the app’s Pace Guide for 20 minutes.
For this particular app, however, even in the absence of a smartwatch, you’ll find the narrated guidance and minute-by-minute text instructions on everything from the appropriate bite-size to chewing technique to be very useful and an experience the entire family can enjoy.
On the Apple and Google Play stores.
The app is available for download on the App Store and Google Play. You’ll need an access code to use it FREE. You can request one through the App or if you Sign Up for Early Access to our upcoming Weight Loss app, we’ll send you one today.
Practice makes perfect.
Just because we love food doesn’t make us good eaters. We encourage you to use the Mindful Eating app as a daily meal companion to master the skills of eating mindfully. And don’t be afraid to work your way up to a full 20-minute meal.
For many of us that consume our meals in just 10 minutes, and sometimes much less, twenty minutes can feel like an eternity. Often, just starting your meal with the right focus can lead to a much more rewarding experience.
It’s about awareness.
Remember, creating a deeper awareness of any habit is the only way to change it. With LUMME’s Mindful Eating App, we hope you’ll gain a deeper awareness of your eating habits and unlock the door to new healthier ones in the process.
Here’s to mastering your eating!