As part of my resolution a week series this week I want to create the habit of eating slower.

I love food but I inhale food. My poor husband panics when we eat together for fear I will choke (he once had to perform the heimlich maneuver on me at at bagel shop in Brooklyn because a piece of lox was lodged in my throat. I don’t know what was scarier: almost dying or the fact that no one in the shop cared that I was dying but my hubby.)

Not only is it dangerous to eat fast, but it’s not fun. I rarely savor flavors. Unless I have endless hours to enjoy dinner with a friend, I am usually eating on the go.

Eating slower is beneficial (both for you and to your meal partner who is probably stressed out watching you wolf an entire slice of pizza in three bites). So how does a person who lives in a society that celebrates speed slow down? (I mean how many competitive eating contests do we have to have on ESPN?) Here are some reasons from Zenhabits.net that may inspire you to calm your consumption:

1. Lose weight. A growing number of studies confirm that just by eating slower, you’ll consume fewer calories ” in fact, enough to lose 20 pounds a year without doing anything different or eating anything different. The reason is that it takes about 20 minutes for our brains to register that we’re full. If we eat fast, we can continue eating past the point where we’re full. If we eat slowly, we have time to realize we’re full, and stop on time. Now, I would still recommend that you eat healthier foods, but if you’re looking to lose weight, eating slowly should be a part of your new lifestyle.
2. Enjoy your food. This reason is just as powerful, in my opinion. It’s hard to enjoy your food if it goes by too quickly. In fact, I think it’s fine to eat sinful foods, if you eat a small amount slowly. Think about it: you want to eat sinful foods (desserts, fried foods, pizza, etc.) because they taste good. But if you eat them fast, what’s the point? If you eat them slowly, you can get the same amount of great taste, but with less going into your stomach. That’s math that works for me. And that argument aside, I think you are just happier by tasting great food and enjoying it fully, by eating slowly. Make your meals a gastronomic pleasure, not a thing you do rushed, between stressful events.
3. Better digestion. If you eat slower, you’ll chew your food better, which leads to better digestion. Digestion actually starts in the mouth, so the more work you do up there, the less you’ll have to do in your stomach. This can help lead to fewer digestive problems.
4. Less stress. Eating slowly, and paying attention to our eating, can be a great form of mindfulness exercise. Be in the moment, rather than rushing through a meal thinking about what you need to do next. When you eat, you should eat. This kind of mindfulness, I believe, will lead to a less stressful life, and long-term happiness. Give it a try.
5. Rebel against fast food and fast life. Our hectic, fast-paced, stressful, chaotic lives ” the Fast Life ” leads to eating Fast Food, and eating it quickly. This is a lifestyle that is dehumanizing us, making us unhealthy, stressed out, and unhappy. We rush through our day, doing one mindless task after another, without taking the time to live life, to enjoy life, to relate to each other, to be human. That’s not a good thing in my book. Instead, rebel against that entire lifestyle and philosophy ” with the small act of eating slower. Don’t eat Fast Food. Eat at a good restaurant, or better yet, cook your own food and enjoy it fully. Taste life itself.

There’s even a whole Slow Food movement. Yes, there is a group of folks dedicated to counteracting fast food and fast life.  The group has over 80,000 members all over the world who practice the art of slow eating.

As I type this, I am midway through my breakfast. I don’t recall what the first half tasted like. Let’s hope I can make the second half last through at least three more blog posts.

For more on the Slow Food Movement visit http://www.slowfood.com/