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Eat Slowly, Chew Gum For Healthier Lifestyle

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@tampatrib.com

Published: March 21, 2009

Dietitians and moms always say to slow down when you eat, but does it really work to cut calories and curb the waistline?

A study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that women who ate fast consumed more calories than slow eaters. Slow eaters reported greater feelings of fullness post-meal and rated the experience as more pleasant than the speed eaters.

The bottom line: Take smaller bites, put down your fork between bites and chew each mouthful thoroughly.

OK, but can chewing gum reduce your stress? Researchers in Melbourne, Australia, studied young adults as they faced a stressful multitasking activity. Gum chewers had less anxiety, more alertness and lower levels of a stress hormone in their saliva than non-gum chewers.

Although this study was funded by Wrigley, it may be that gum chewing has benefits for stress reduction. Make sure to choose sugar-free gum, as it has proven cavity-fighting properties, too.

Also of note: It used to be that dietitians always told patients with diverticulitis to avoid nuts and seeds, which could get trapped in the diverticuli or little pouches in the intestinal wall. But research in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that high-fiber foods, including nuts, seeds and popcorn, were not associated with causing the disease or worsening symptoms.

So, those with diverticular disease can feel more comfortable trying foods they have been avoiding, such as strawberries, poppy or sesame-seed bagels or tomatoes.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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