Hey–it’s Saturday! Time to treat yourself, right? Well, before you jump in the car to go to that drive-thru, just remember that scarfing down an egg sandwich or any breakfast order at a fast food restaurant can come with health risks.
If your goal is to practice mindful eating, it’s time to learn the worst mistake you can make when ordering breakfast at a fast food restaurant:
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Eat Fast
"Just because you’re eating fast food doesn’t mean it’s okay to eat it fast!" health coach and host of the Wellness While Walking Podcast Carolyn Cohen tells us. While it might be tempting to scarf down that Sausage Egg McMuffin because you're on-the-go, that's the last thing you should do, she explains.
Slowing down our consumption of any meals, especially fast food ones, has numerous benefits.
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"The brain doesn’t know the stomach is full unless digestive hormones have time to register," she advises. "If we wolf down our food quickly while on the go, we might find ourselves ready to eat again soon after crumpling up those fast food wrappers." Yikes! The last thing you want to do is have an unhealthy meal... and then another one soon after.
The explanation for this is all about your hormonal levels.
"The hormone leptin not only helps us register fullness, but is key in the production of dopamine, a feel-good receptor," she continues.
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"When we rush, we don’t get those benefits, and might be looking for a boost to our mood before lunchtime." Ah, that makes sense.
Additionally, it's about the process of chewing slowly (which is so important!).
"Many of us don’t chew our food, and this prohibits us from digesting fully — if we’re eating quickly and not chewing well, not only are we not letting our bodies at the nutrients, but we might be setting ourselves up for brain deficits like dementia - we were meant to use those molars and jaws!"
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So, there you have it. The one thing you should NEVER do when eating a fast food breakfast. Might make you think twice before the next time you go, eh?
