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Having a healthy diet requires more than simply watching what we put in our bodies; it also requires that we pay attention to the amounts of food that we consume. Both the "what" we eat and the "how much" we consume are important factors in determining our general health and well-being. If we find the perfect balance, we can make sure to acquire all of the necessary nutrients without taking in too many calories. Let's talk about how important it is to maintain a healthy lifestyle by maintaining a healthy approach to eating. Recently we came across a video on social media where Subah explained the idea of how much to eat.
Harshvardhan and Subah together lead Satvic Movement, an online holistic health education platform to educate timeless health knowledge. In the video, she explained the concept of how much to eat in a very simplified way. If you fill a blending jar to its brim, there is no space left and it's difficult to blend. Similarly, if you fill your stomach to the top every time, will the food be digested? No, because it is nature's principle that for something to get mixed, a little space must be left empty. But a lot of us have the habit of exceeding our body's food needs by overeating 2 to 3 times more. How will we stay healthy? Our scriptures teach us that only half of our stomach should be filled with food, ¼ of this space should be left for digestive juices and the rest ¼ for movement and churning.
But how do we identify when the stomach is half-filled? It's easy, when it is empty, it has some fresh air left, when you eat in this state your stomach is empty and you have a strong sense of hunger, and then you eat. You get a burp when the stomach is half-full. This is because the air in your stomach comes to your mouth via the food pipe. This is called a burp of completion. This indicates that the stomach is now satiated. Food eaten after this won't be digested well. So, the best way to avoid overeating is to stop eating after your burp of completion.
In the video on Instagram she captions, “ If you want to be healthy, remember one principle: ALWAYS EAT LESS BY A THIRD. Additional practices to help you stop overeating:
Before eating, close your eyes, and come into the moment. Do your thoughts wander all over the place when eating? Take a few minutes to slow your mind down, breathe deeply, and release any stress or tension. Let’s be fully present with our food and ourselves during each meal.
Engage all your senses while eating. Step away from distractions and savor each bite mindfully.
Remember to focus on the taste, texture, and aroma of your food.
Chew, chew, chew! Did you know chewing aids digestion? You can put on a 20-minute soothing music playlist, and make sure you finish your meals only when the music finishes and not before that. Treat eating like a prayer. Eat each portion with gratitude.
