You’ve heard that it takes 20 minutes for your brain to register that your stomach is full. But what may be even more important is how much time the food spends in your mouth, says Kathleen Melanson, an associate professor of nutrition at the University of Rhode Island in the US.
You’ve heard that it takes 20 minutes for your brain to register that your stomach is full. But what may be even more important is how much time the food spends in your mouth, says Kathleen Melanson, an associate professor of nutrition at the University of Rhode Island in the US.
The reason: Researchers have discovered that nerves in the jaw lead to neural pathways that activate sensory receptors in the brain. “Keeping food in your mouth longer increases a sense of satisfaction in your brain as well as your stomach,” Kathleen explains. The specific amount of time you should aim for may vary from one food to another (there’s no research on that yet). Regardless, Kathleen recommends thoroughly chewing and swallowing each bite of food, and then pausing for a moment before you reach for the next one.
17 minutes The time it takes to fall asleep once you hit the sack after a dinner that’s high in fibre and low in saturated fat and sugar. That’s 12 minutes faster than after a meal with more saturated fat and sugar.
SOURCE JOURNAL OF CLINICAL SLEEP MEDICINE
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What’s hot in the supermarkets.
● LOW-FAT
When making curry or dessert, swop full-cream milk for Ayam Brand Organic Light Coconut Milk ($4.80 for 400ml can, major supermarkets). It’s a healthier alternative, with 32 percent less fat.
●WHOLESOME
Easy on the palate, Gardenia Super Fine & Soft 14-Grain Loaf ($3 for 300g loaf, major supermarkets) is baked with 14 nutritious grains and seeds, including brown rice, oats, spelt, flax, purple wheat and quinoa.
● FRUITY
You’ll love the refreshing taste of sea buckthorn juice, the main ingredient in Ricola Tangy Berry Sugar Free Swiss Herb Lozenges ($3.35 for 45g box, major supermarkets). The drops contain a blend of 13 aromatic Swiss-cultivated herbs too.
Feed your focus
To take on your workload, don’t skimp on getting your iron. Otherwise-healthy young women with slightly low levels of the mineral had impaired attention levels and planning abilities, according to recent US research. “Mild iron deficiency isn’t usually screened for, but if you feel tired or lethargic or can’t get warm, and your haemoglobin level – a marker of iron levels – is coming up on blood tests as normal, ask your doctor for a more detailed test,” says study author Laura Murray-Kolb. Meanwhile, be sure to consume healthy iron-rich foods such as lean beef, fortified breakfast cereal, legumes and leafy greens, and pair them with vitamin C–rich foods, which can help your body better absorb the mineral.
