Islamabad : Our habits drive our daily food consumption without us even realizing it. We eat when it is time to eat, when food is put in front of us, or because we need to react to feelings of anger, anxiety, depression, or simple boredom. Most eating happens in a mindless, automatic fashion. The solution to this problem is simple: be mindful of what you eat, savour each bite, and slow down the chewing.
Consultant nutritionist and Head of the Clinical Nutrition Department at Shifa International Hospital Dr. Rezzan Khan shared this piece of advice during an exclusive chat with this scribe here Sunday at the start of the National Nutrition Month—a nutrition education and information campaign observed throughout the month of March every year to increase public awareness of good nutrition practices. The month will be dotted with a series of nutrition-related activities including seminars, conferences, interactive sessions, and nutritional camps in hospitals and other institutions. This year’s theme for National Nutrition Month is ‘Bite by Bite.’
Dr. Rezzan is convinced that if we are mindful of what we eat, savour each bit, and show down chewing , every little bit of nutrition will be a step in the right direction. “Go one step further and take smaller bites out of your food,” she said. Studies have shown that every bite taken by a man is equal to about 17 calories, while women consume about 11 calories per bite. With 100 bites, the daily caloric intake would total 1,700 for men and 1,100 for women. Reducing bite sizes during a meal may help those trying to lower their food intake.
Eating bite by bite slows down the eating process. “Chew slowly and steadily until the mouthful of food is liquefied or loses all its texture. The benefits of slow eating include better digestion, better hydration, easier weight loss or maintenance, and greater satisfaction with meals,” Dr. Rezzan said. She emphasized that proper nutrition is not just about meeting macros and eating quality foods. It is also about producing the right hormonal responses in the body to food. “Eating slowly may help you feel full faster. Indeed, when you eat slowly, the intricate hormonal crosstalk system gets enough time to work and around 20 minutes after you start eating, you feel satiated. Eating quickly not only causes you to eat more, it also increases the amount of air a person swallows, which can lead to more gas building up in the gastrointestinal tract and may cause bloating. Consuming more food has an inevitably harmful effects on your health,” she pointed out.
Dr. Rezzan also highlighted the need to find satisfaction in quality, not quantity. “Don’t overload your spoon or fork. Food should stay on without falling off. If you are eating ‘chapaati,’ tear off a small piece, take small bites, chew each bite 15 to 20 times, savour the food as you chew, swallow before taking the next bite, pause between bites and be aware of how your hunger is being sated,” she said.
It takes fewer chews to break down soft and water-filled food. The goal of chewing is to break down the food so it loses texture. Chewing 32 times appears to be an average number applied to most normal (not small) bites of food. Foods that are harder to chew, such as steak and nuts, uncooked vegetables and fruits may require up to 40 chews per mouthful, Dr. Rezzan added.
Good nutrition should be easy and natural and not require one to fight an overwhelming battle or feel restricted. The biggest improvements are achieved with new habits. Achieving small goals consistently can have a cumulative and permanent healthful effect.
March is indeed the perfect time to introduce a three-bite rule. Smell and feel the food before taking the first bite to say hello; take the second bite to savour the flavour, and the last bite to say goodbye. Taste buds are chemical sensors that tire quickly. Knowing that the first few bites of a food taste better than the next few bites, start to cultivate mindful awareness. “Bite, chew and savour,” re-emphasized Dr. Rezzan,who is also In-charge of the Islamabad Chapter of Pakistan Nutrition and Dietetic Society.