Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay
Remember when Mom told you to chew your food ten times before you swallow? She was right but not for the reasons she thought. Mom didn’t want you to choke.
We’ve learned that if you eat slowly, you give your gut time to tell your brain that you’re actually eating, how much you’ve eaten and when you’re full. We’re talking hypothalamus here.
It’s the part of your brain that maintains balance and controls behavior related to eating, drinking and sex and translates those strong feelings into physical action. The hypothalamus does its thing and then, you eat, you drink, and well, you know...
- The lateral slice of the hypothalamus tells you when you’re hungry and the ventromedial slice tells you when you’re full.
- The hindbrain gets signals from the gut and sends them to the hypothalamus.
- The limbic region, the reward and pleasure system, enjoys the emotional properties of the food and voila!
That’s all there is to it! Slow down. Savor your food. Lose some weight.
Claudia
Join me on Facebook at Dr. Claudia McCulloch.
At DrClaudia.net, click on the "Ask Me" button and send me a question.
Sign up for the Sunday newsletter. Don't miss a thing!
