It’s probably one of the simplest ways to cut back on calories, yet it’s vastly underused. Studies have showing that doing it will result in eating less at a meal, yet most people never think to do it. What is this magical thing? Slowing down.

There is no prize for speed eating. What happens when you eat too fast is that you may still feel hungry even though your body has taken in enough food. Your stomach can’t send the “I’m full” message to your brain fast enough if you are eating quickly. So you end up overeating.

Luckily, with practice, slowing down is an achievable goal. A couple of things you should always try to avoid:

-         Don’t eat in front of the TV

-         Don’t eat and read

Pay attention to what you are eating. I know it sounds silly, but look at your food. Chew it slowly. Really savor it. Take a while to swallow it. Draw out your meal.

The other day I was eating a very fine pasta salad that I’d made. Now I’ll be very straightforward, and tell you that there have been MANY times that I’ve gobbled my pasta and ended up having two, or even THREE, bowls before my stomach told me I was full. And then, of course, I felt stuffed and miserable later. This recent time, though, I ate slowly, told myself that what I put in my bowl was going to be it, and really concentrated on enjoying each bite. I felt full at the end of the bowl of pasta, and didn’t have regrets.

If you don’t believe me, try it yourself. If it normally takes you 15 minutes to eat your meal, try to stretch it out to a half hour. If it takes you a half hour usually, stretch it to 45 minutes. Put your fork down between bites. Have a sip of water. Chat with your family while eating. Try it for a week, and see how it works for you. Feel free to email me and let me know how it went.

Remember -- turkeys gobble.  I don’t want to be a turkey - do you?