(Diabetic Meals) Are you eating too quickly? You'll develop diabetes.

Managing dietary habits is essential for blood sugar control. Research has shown that the 'speed' of eating is just as important as the type or amount of food consumed.

 

Today's Diabetes Letter Two-Line Summary

1. The faster you eat, the faster your blood sugar spikes.

2. Please take your time and enjoy your meal.

The faster you eat, the higher the risk of diabetes

 

There are several studies showing that eating hastily and quickly increases the risk of diabetes. The Journal of the American Heart Association published the results of a study by a research team at Miyoshi Central Hospital in Japan. They investigated the association between eating speed and the development of diabetes in 1,083 adults with an average age of 51.2 years. First, participants completed a questionnaire containing questions about dietary habits and physical activity. Afterward, the research team divided the participants into slow, normal, and fast groups based on their eating speed and followed them for five years. As a result, the incidence of diabetes in the slow eating group, the normal eating group, and the fast eating group was found to be 2.3%, 6.5%, and 11.6%, respectively.

A research team at Fukuoka Medical University in Japan analyzed the eating speed of 4,835 adults without diabetes, and found that the group that ate quickly had a 2.1 times higher incidence of diabetes than the group that ate slowly.

 

Causes blood sugar spikes

 

How does the speed of eating affect blood sugar levels? When you consume food quickly, blood sugar rises rapidly just as nutrients are absorbed quickly. This is known as the "blood sugar spike" phenomenon. Then, when blood sugar drops sharply, you feel hungry, which increases the risk of obesity. Hormones that induce satiety only transmit signals to the brain about 20 minutes after a meal. If you finish your meal before feeling full, you may end up looking for other food after you have finished eating. A fast eating habit leads to obesity, and obesity causes diabetes.

 

The speed of eating is important even for people who already have diabetes. Professor Yang Yeo-ri of the Department of Endocrinology at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital stated, "Unlike healthy individuals, diabetic patients have reduced insulin secretion ability," adding that "frequent blood sugar spikes caused by eating too quickly increase the risk of diabetic complications." When post-meal blood sugar levels rise due to eating quickly, the daily average blood sugar also increases; this leads to greater blood sugar variability, which in turn raises HbA1c levels.

 

You should eat leisurely and evenly

 

It goes without saying, but chew your food thoroughly and eat slowly for 20 to 30 minutes. Professor Myeong Seung-kwon of the Department of Family Medicine at the National Cancer Center says, "Chewing your food longer will lengthen the mealtime and help you feel more full. Chew each bite at least 30 times and try to eat as slowly as possible."

 

One method is to consume foods that raise blood sugar slowly at the beginning of a meal. Professor Yang Yeo-ri stated, "Koreans tend to eat rice first," adding, "This causes carbohydrates to enter the digestive system first, leading to a rapid rise in blood sugar." For the sake of blood sugar control, it is best to consume protein (fat) → dietary fiber → carbohydrates in that order. You should also abandon the habit of mixing rice into water or soup.

 

Here are some dietary tips for healthy blood sugar levels! 1) Maintain a 4:3:3 ratio of carbohydrates, protein, and fat. 2) Use a small bowl to control portion size. 3) Chew your food at least 30 times and eat slowly. 4) Take a 20-30 minute walk an hour after eating.

 

 

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Even if you don't have diabetes... eating slowly and chewing thoroughly is

It's also good for digestion.

 

I also tend to eat slowly at home... but quickly at work.

Controlling carbohydrates with a small bowl first is also a tip.