Many years ago my mom and I were spending the day running errands when we suddenly realized that it was already the middle of the afternoon and we hadn’t eaten lunch yet. We were famished. I rummaged around for a snack, but all I could come up with was a tiny cellophane package of jelly beans. While my mom kept her eyes on the road, I tore open the package and divvied up six jellybeans. A very short while later we laughed as we realized that now we were barely hungry at all. Knowing that this was going to be a temporary state, however, we soon pulled in to our favorite diner and ordered lunch.

For me, this experience illustrates an important principle, namely that if you wait a little while after you eat, there is an excellent chance that your hunger will resolve.

We are not supposed to eat quickly. In France, for example, with the lowest average BMI in Western Europe, schoolchildren’s schedules include an hour for lunch and then an hour afterward to play. Slow food. Slow digestion.

On this side of the Atlantic, in contrast, it seems as if many American customs conspire against our physiology. America invented “fast food.” We “grab” a bite to eat. We “wolf down” our food so we can race to wherever we’re going next. That last example makes for a most unappetizing visual.  

Or we skip meals entirely, because we don’t (or can’t) make the time.

Americans don’t eat slowly. We don’t enjoy our food. As Michael Pollan says, we don’t take as long to eat a meal as we took to prepare it. We don’t use our good dishes or silverware. We don’t stop to smell the roses in the vase on the table. We don’t make it our business to grow vegetables, to harvest herbs, or to simmer soups on the stove.

Think, for one moment, about how uncomfortable your stomach feels when you’ve eaten a really huge meal. And why is it that the knowledge seems to really settle in only once you’ve pushed away from the table? It takes about 20 minutes for your stomach to provide your brain with the feedback that lets it know your gut has been satisfied. If you eat quickly, and you keep eating until you feel full, it is likely that the most uncomfortable sensations won’t reach your brain until after you’ve stopped eating and left the table.

It’s no surprise that we don’t wait to feel full. Americans are in a big hurry. But if you can figure out how to give your body a little more time to eat, then you may be able to slow down, and then to stop eating when you feel that you have had enough. 

Here are some ways to slow down at your table:

.Prepare an attractive plate, and leave the pots at the stove.  

.Take a deep breath before you begin to eat.  

.Take a bite, and put down your fork.  

.Chew your food thoughtfully: Taste it, enjoy it, and relax.  

.Enjoy the conversation.  

.Enjoy the roses.  

.Allow your food to begin to digest.

.Appreciate any feelings of satisfaction that your brain conjures up.  

.Notice your appetite and enjoy the sensation of feeding it.

Got any more to share? I’d love to see them!