The brainy way to slim

Forget the food fads and drop the diets. The secret of staying slim could be as simple as keeping your mind on your meals.

Freeing ourselves from distractions and concentrating completely on the food that is in front of us hold the key to helping us stay in shape, research suggests.

Such “mindful eating” ensures that the brain is in tune with the body, enabling it to “hear” the chemical messages that tell it that we are full.

In studies, including some from Harvard University in the US, dieters who concentrated on their food rather than what was going on around them lost an average of half a stone. Mindful eating, named after the Buddhist principle of focusing on the present, has also been shown to help binge eaters get their splurges under control, with the number of binges cut from eight a fortnight to three.

The researchers say that digestion involves a complex series of hormonal signals between the gut and the nervous system and it takes about 20 minutes for the brain to register that the body has eaten enough.

This means that if someone eats too quickly, the signals will lag behind, leading to over-eating.

Distractions, such as playing on the computer or checking email, also play a role and make it harder for us to remember what we have eaten. This absentmindedness stops us from feeling full - and sends us reaching for snacks.

In one study, 42 men and women were given a multi-course lunch by Bristol University researchers, with half playing the card game solitaire on a computer as they ate. Half an hour later, they were given chocolate biscuits to eat and asked to recall the various items they’d eaten for lunch, in the correct order.

Not only did the computer-gamers feel less full after eating, they tucked into twice as many biscuits afterwards and struggled with the memory test.

It is thought that our memory of what we have eaten plays a key role in dampening appetite. Advocates of mindful eating, including the Kallo Food Academy, an online forum dealing with unhealthy eating, advise savouring food, chewing it slowly and taking note of its colour, smell, texture and flavour.

Newspapers and phones should be cleared away - and at least 20 minutes set aside per meal.

Those who find it hard not to wolf down their food could try eating with their non-dominant hand - or even using chopsticks.

Before snacking, dieters should ask if they are really hungry and if not, distract themselves by going for a walk or reading. Done properly, mindful eating may not only leave you slimmer - you may also enjoy mealtimes more. - Daily Mail