Keep it slow during the meal course

6 Reasons to Slow Down while Eating

Around holiday time, a common comment I hear is, "I cooked for 6 hours and we ate everything in 20 minutes." Well, aside from the fact that there must be zero socializing at that holiday table, it seems to me that eating a couple thousand calories in 20 minutes is a little fast. Could you enjoy the food just as much by slowing down?

I started to look into the affects of slow versus fast eating and then tried a little experiment with some of what I learned. My experiment was with chocolate candy because it's something I really like a lot.

Generally, I feel as if I have to eat three or four candies to be totally pleased. But recently I noticed that if I take a 10-15 min pause after two candies, I have significantly less or even no desire at all to eat the third one. This resulted in less consumption which, when speaking of candy, is a good thing.

I started wondering why this happens and began my research, which turned into learning the effects of slow eating.

1. Portion control & Overeating prevention. When you eat slowly it is definitely hard to overeat. Slow eating little by little decreases the desire to eat, so you can stop eating before your plate is empty. It is suggested that it takes about 20 minutes for your stomach to produce the hormones telling your brain that you are full.

2. Weight control benefits. Slowly eating habit reduces the risk of becoming overweight. Recently Japanese researches found strong positive correlation between higher eating speed and obesity.

3. It can't hurt you. Slow eating doesn't have any negative effects on your health, but can bring you a number of benefits without extra costs.

4. Taste and enjoy your food. When you eat slowly, you end up tasting your food more. You will experience more of the flavors, textures and smells of the food you eat. At the same time this may become a small step to a more healthy diet. If you won't like what you eat when you eat it slowly, probably the next time you will choose something of a better quality.

5. Digestion. Eating slowly and chewing properly improves your digestion. It is well known that digestion begins in the mouth. The more we chew our foods, the easier it is to digest them.

6. Heartburn (gastroesophageal reflux). Eating food quickly may cause a type of indigestion called gastroesophageal reflux.

And a tip for those who have difficulty maintaining slow eating pace. Take a forced pause shortly before your plate is empty. Switch over from your meal to some other activity for a short time (10-15min), e.g. make a phone call, or look through a newspaper. When you return to your dish, probably you won't continue eating or at least the chances you will empty the plate are very small.

Written by Christine Simmons, contributing authour for HealthAssist.net

Did you know that Pregnant Women Have Best Sex and Better Orgasms?

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FOXSexpert Yvonne K. Fulbright

Few think “orgasmic” when they look at a pregnant woman in all her budding — or bulging — belly beauty. Yet pregnancy is amongst the most sensual, sexual times in a woman’s life. Unbeknownst to most of us, pregnant women often top the list of the lustfully libidinous, with many expectant mums expressing increased sexual appetite and fervor, much to their partner’s delight or bewilderment, with every ripening day.

VIDEO: Click Here To Watch Yvonne Explain Orgasmic Pregnancy

Consider, after all, what’s going on with the hot mama’s changing form. First, the hormones of her time with child are blessing her with better skin and hair, making her feel more gorgeous than ever.

While some women, especially the toilet-bound, feel anything but sexy during their pregnancy, many are literally glowing from their expectancy, and love their bodacious body as never before.

Second, whether it’s her first or second trimester, some women experience increased sexual urges, at levels exceeding pre-pregnancy. During the second trimester in particular, many feel hot to trot for reasons far beyond their control. The vulva seems to have a mind of its own. Mother Nature is revving up a pregnant woman’s sex drive with increased vaginal lubrication, larger breasts, and increased vasocongestion (the flow of blood to the genitals) for heightened vulval sensitivity and a swollen, often to the point of aching, clitoris. A woman is literally a hot mama passion playground for her — and her partner — to enjoy.

Third, during pregnancy, a woman’s dreams may increase and become more sexual in nature. Expectant women have reported more erotic, physical, and varied dreams during pregnancy, with a lighter sleep cycle making it easier to recall the visions and her subsequent nocturnal orgasm(s). Sharing her scintillating nightly visions with her partner can make for even more sizzling real-life action, with many couples fascinated, turned on, and even amused by the thoughts being conjured up during this time.

Given her sexual metamorphosis, all of these changes add up to a much more orgasmic woman! Between feeling sexier, increased genital blood flood, greater vulval sensitivity, and unexpected fantasies, many women experience their first orgasm or multiple orgasms during this time, spontaneously or while love making. This increased ability to reach climactic heights is why many couples work to put aside any discomfort they have with the idea of sex during pregnancy.

Many couples have also learned that sex is a way to stay renewed and connected both physically and emotionally during pregnancy. This is crucial given that research has found that while relationship satisfaction tends to increase slightly during pregnancy, with many couples feeling closer, mutual happiness tends to decrease post-birth, with sexual intimacy the most vulnerable area. Couples who remain intimate, in any of its forms, up through the third trimester, report reconnecting more easily post-partum.

With mother-to-be primed for better sex, many couples have some of their most intense lovemaking experiences during pregnancy, surfacing from the experience stronger than ever. Only Mother Nature could come up with such a perfect plan.

For more information on sex during pregnancy, check out Fulbright’s co-authored book, Your Orgasmic Pregnancy: Little Sex Secrets Every Hot Mama Should Know.

In the Know: The Latest Sex News …

— To postpone or “put out” — either way, you could be in for passion problems. This is because when you lose your virginity appears to be tied to greater risk of developing sexual health problems later in life. A study published in the American Journal of Public Health indicates that adults who started having sex at a relatively young age were likelier to have certain risk factors for sexually transmitted infections, like having a high number of sexual partners and a history of sex under the influence of alcohol. Interestingly enough, both “early” and “late” sex starters were at an increased risk of sexual dysfunction.

— The knullborgarmarket badge is no more. Upset that its logo bore a striking resemblance to the Swedish Association for Sexual Education’s award for knowledge of all things sexual and sensual, the Swedish Swimming Association successfully forced the sex organization to forego its “bonkers badge” honor. Sink or sex, both groups appear to have handled matters swimmingly.

— Teen pregnancy prevention couldn’t have gotten a better poster child at a better time. With the national teen pregnancy rate up for the first time in 14 years, 16-year-old Jamie Lynn Spears, kid sister of the pop star Britney Spears, reportedly has a bun in the oven. If you don’t have a child, this makes for great gossip. If you’re the parent of an adolescent, you’ve just been given a teachable moment.

Instead of freaking out about these headlines, which your youth are hearing about none-the-less, use them to your advantage in having discussions with your teen or pre-teen about issues like the meaning of sexual intimacy, abstinence, safer sex, and the responsibilities of parenthood. Eighty-eight percent of 12- to 19-year-olds surveyed said it would be easier to postpone sexual activity if they were able to have more open, honest conversations with their parents. So you need to start talking. Just keep a few things in mind:

— First, avoid dictation. Teens want a conversation that is mutually respectful, especially as they move into having more of an adult relationship with you. Recall how you felt as a teen, longing for your own identity and independence, but still needing an adult’s support. Your approach to the conversation needs to be such that you’re sharing your feelings, values, and attitudes while listening to and learning about those of your teen.

— Second, don’t assume that your teenager is sexually experienced or inexperienced. Listen carefully to what your teen is asking or saying and respond to the question or statement, not to your fears and worries.

— Third, don’t underestimate your teen’s capabilities in weighing the advantages and disadvantages of situations. Your teen has values, many of them your own, and is quite capable of making mature, responsible decisions. This is especially true when armed with the facts and opportunity to think out loud with a supportive adult. You need to balance the message of responsibility, healthy decision making, values, and maturity in developing a positive, pleasurable, pregnancy-free relationship.

Dr. Yvonne Kristín Fulbright is a sex educator, relationship expert, columnist and founder of Sexuality Source Inc. She is the author of several books including, "Touch Me There! A Hands-On Guide to Your Orgasmic Hot Spots."

How to Lose Unwanted Weight

With social and career success being firmly rooted in modern life, physical appearance is more important than ever. The popular image of a successful person seems to be built around fitness in both the physical and moral aspects, a sort of a physical and moral correctness. Therefore many people are interested in keeping themselves in shape, especially after a winter of eating heavier food at the expense of fresh vegetables at fruits.

The first thing to do when trying to get rid of the unwanted excess kilograms is to take a look at your diet. This is the first step on your journey. Are you relying heavily on chips, soda and fast food to make it through the day? Are you eating enough vegetables and fruits? While hamburgers, fries and soda is a tasty and satisfying combination, it is also a deadly proposition to your health. If you want to stay fit, you must quit eating high-powered food that provides too much energy.

Your body doesn’t like to waste things it can use later on and energy is one of the most important things that can be stored. Eating hamburgers and chips while leading a largely sedentary lifestyle gives your body much more energy than it normally uses. This energy is not thrown away, but converted to fat and put into storage. Therefore, you must cut down on this type of food and turn to the humbler fruits and vegetables to keep hunger in check without putting your health at risk.

The second part of the system is exercising. While a sound diet makes sure your body doesn’t get more energy than it needs, exercising is here to help use up energy already stored. Taking brisk walks after meals is OK, exercising half an hour per day is good, going to a gym for an hour or so five days a week is perfect. There’s no need to starve or exhaust yourself. Diet and exercising can be fun with a bit of thinking and a positive attitude.

Bulimia Is A Severe Eating Disorder

Bulimia is but one of a growing number of eating disorders recognized in our modern society. Depression, low self-esteem, and extreme perfectionism are common in people with these symptoms. Bulimia can also cause tension with family and friends, interrupting the lives of people with the disorder.

The eating behavior can look normal but after a short while, he or she feels disgusted with their eating and uses different methods of eliminating it. Many people, if not most, with bulimia will not admit that they have an eating disorder, but this understanding is crucial to their recovery. Anorexia is another growing eating disorder among young women where they starve themselves to become thin. Bulimia is also a popular eating disorder that commonly affects women who have an extreme fear of gaining weight.

A period of binge-eating is produces strong feelings of guilt. A person with anorexia has the obvious signs of emaciation but with a bulimia sufferer, it is really necessary to observe the binge eating. As binge eating is usually carried out secretively, this can create a problem in reaching an early diagnosis. A binge is an episode where an individual eats a much larger amount of food than most people would in a similar situation and it is not a response to intense hunger. The overeating is not caused by hunger, but by feelings of depression and stress. They often binge on comfort foods like potato chips, cakes and cookies.

With this disease there is a risk for damages that will become permanent. Bulimia can also be the reason why a person will get problems with the teeth. It is also likely that these persons have intense psychological problems. One reason is that they are often led to believe that diet and figure are of extreme importance.

The physical problems should be treated symptomatically and also include a diet regime that can control weight without the dangers that this obsession of bulimia can bring. The treatment should continue with counselling for quite some time after returning home from hospital. Any bulimia recovery requires the help of a psychiatrist who can recognize why a person is bulimic and how they can break their binge-and-purge cycle. The binge-eating episode is usually triggered by stress or depression and can happen a few times a week.

Bulimia nervosa is another term for this condition and it can give severe medical complications. On one hand, anorexia nervosa is a condition wherein the person suffering from it is constantly afraid of gaining weight. What triggers a person to suffer from bulimia nervosa cannot be pinpointed exactly as it is usually the result of a number of factors. But, the occurrence of bulimia nervosa can be prevented and in case you are already suffering from it, you can be cured.
By Louise Wasa