Having a good meal is often a social occasion but our modern lifestyle is often the reason we rather wolf or food down than savour the meal. However, gulping down your breakfast or lunch in less than five minutes can mean you are more likely to get obese or develop other ailments.
Research published in the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2017 says this can increase risk of heart disease, diabetes and stroke. According to the Guardian, researchers from Hiroshima University in Japan found that fast eaters were 11.6% more likely to have developed metabolic syndrome – defined as having any of three risk factors out of obesity (around the waistline), high blood pressure, high levels of bad fats (triglycerides) and high blood sugar after a period of fasting.
The link between eating quickly and becoming unhealthy has been known for a while, says the newspaper and it adds that when we eat quickly, the body does not get a chance to signal to the brain that we are getting full.
“Receptors in the stomach that respond to being stretched by food, and the hormones that signal to the brain that partially digested food has made it to the small intestine, can take 15 to 20 minutes to kick in,” the report says.
Besides that, fast foods are often not the healthiest option about and this, along with the stress and anxiety modern living produces, does not do us any good.
But clinical hypnotherapy can offer solutions in many instances, helping us to relax and take things in our stride. The National Council for Hypnotherapy has therapists across the UK who can deal with stress, anxiety, weight management, bad eating habits and much more.
“We live in a society where great demands and responsibilities are placed on us,” says the NCH. “Today, about one in seven people are suffering from stress or anxiety at any one time and you may be one of those people but are now ready to explore ways of freeing yourself from anxiety and living a fulfilled and happy life, free to do things that bring you joy.”
Insomnia and bad eating habits are also linked to stressful living and clinical hypnotherapy can help in these instances, too. The NCH has more than 1,800 highly-trained and qualified therapists who are just a phone call or a web click away.
Says the NCH: “After sessions with a hypnotherapist you may feel more confident; more relaxed in situations that have previously challenged you. Many people say that they are calmer and that they have more clarity of thought – able to make decisions more easily.
“People who have experienced side effects of anxiety such as insomnia, find that they are sleeping much better and as a result are able to work more effectively.”
It is as if hypnotherapy unlocks the potential to break free of negative thought patterns, and to react more positively and more confidently to situations in your life that may have previously made you anxious.
To contact a therapist near you, simply click here to access the NCH directory.