To refrain from consuming those extra calories this Thanksgiving, a new study suggests chewing your food more in order to eat less.
No one wants to be a holiday Grinch and say no to that yummy Thanksgiving dinner someone has worked hard on preparing. Everyone knows Thanksgiving is all about good food and eating to your heart's content. This also means consuming more calories and putting on a few extra pounds. So what can you do to enjoy that yummy Thanksgiving dinner without putting on weight so that you can fit into that beautiful dress you're planning to wear on Christmas or New Year's eve? A new study may have a solution for you, according to Auto World News.
The perfect solution to your problems comes by chewing your food more. Yes! It's as simple as that. Research shows that people who chew their food more tend to eat lesser than people who just gobble their food without chewing.
In the first part of the study, an undisclosed number of participants ate five Totino's pizza rolls each and were asked to document the number of times they chewed each bite. For the second part of the study, 47 participants comprising of normal weight, overweight and obese attended three weekly lunches. During each lunch, all subjects were given 60 pizza rolls each and asked to eat as many as they wanted till they felt full. During the first lunch, all participants were instructed to chew each bite as many times as they did in the first part of the study. In the second and third lunch, they were asked to chew eat bite, 50 percent and twice as much more, respectively.
At the end of the study, researchers noted that when people chewed their food 50 percent more, they ate ten times lesser food, accounting for 70 calories lesser than what they usually consumed. The findings were even greater when they chewed their food twice as much, consuming 15 percent lesser food accounting for 112 calories.
So how does chewing make you eat less? Researchers determined that it takes 20 seconds for the brain to realize that you're stomach is full by receiving signals from digestive hormones secreted by the gastrointestinal tract. When you just gobble down food, you don't give you brain enough time to recognize these signals that you've reached a state of satiety.
According to a Forbes report, an individual consumes as much as 4,500 calories and 229 gm of fat on Thanksgiving alone. 3,000 of this total number of calories come from the main Thanksgiving meal comprising of the turkey, must-have sides and a few slices of pies while the remaining 1,500 calories comes from hours of "pre-dinner grazing" on food items like breads, chips, dips and other appetizers.
The Durham County Department of Public Health has released a list of Thanksgiving dinner eating tips to ensure individuals don't lose sight of keeping in good shape.
The tips include: (Courtesy: The Herald Sun)
- Concentrate on socializing, catching up with friends and family. Remember that Thanksgiving is not just about food, but about being thankful and creating memories with those you care about.
- When you arrive at gatherings, check out the food options and develop a plan to sample foods you like without abandoning good habits. It's OK to have treats, but make sure to enjoy the foods you choose. Spend calories wisely.
- Drink water instead of calories.
- Alcohol packs many calories with few nutrients. Once you start drinking, you may not think as clearly about healthier choices, and dehydration can set in. Sip water all day.
- Don't starve yourself on Thanksgiving Day. Eat fewer calories by choosing more vegetables or fruit for snacks and eating smaller meals throughout the day. You may be tempted to "save up" and make room so you can splurge and pile your plate high, but this could backfire.
- Skipping breakfast or lunch can cause you to overeat at Thanksgiving dinner. Have a bowl of cereal, vegetable sticks, fresh fruit, salad, handful of nuts or a small sandwich before you arrive.
- Enjoy the taste of your meal. Focus on being satisfied instead of full. Pace yourself and take smaller bites, chewing slowly. By eating slowly, you might be less likely to go overboard and regret it later. It usually takes about 20 minutes for your brain to get the message from your stomach that you're full.
- Selecting small portions lets you control calorie intake and still enjoy different items. If you crave a high-calorie item, treat yourself to a small serving. Moderation is key.
