Khaberni - The Spanish physiotherapy specialist Antonio Valenzuela warned against a common habit that many practice daily, which is "eating quickly". He confirms that this habit may activate the stress response in the brain without the person realizing it.
During his appearance on a podcast hosted by "Uri Sabat", Antonio Valenzuela, author of "La fórmula del éxito", spoke about some psychological tips that may help a person improve the quality of their life and manage their time better. Among the most important things he emphasized was eating slowly and calmly, according to HuffPost.
Valenzuela explains that eating quickly sends an indirect signal to the brain, specifically to the amygdala, the area responsible for processing fear and stress. He says: When a person gobbles food down quickly, the amygdala interprets this behavior as if there is a potential danger, as if someone might come to take the food away or that an imminent threat may occur. As a result, the body begins to activate the stress response quickly.
He adds that it resembles what happens when a person repeatedly utters negative phrases like: "I am in pain" continuously. The word that comes out of the mouth goes back to enter the ear, where the amygdala picks it up and interprets it as a danger signal, which could lead to increasing the body's sensitivity to pain.
In contrast, the specialist points out that acting calmly sends reassuring messages to the brain. When a person sits calmly, breathes deeply, and eats slowly, it sends a clear signal to the body that the situation is safe, which helps to lower stress levels.
The benefits of eating slowly are not limited to the psychological aspect only, as it also contributes to the improvement of digestion, reduction of bloating and gas, in addition to enhancing the feeling of fullness. This in turn may help reduce the intake of snacks between main meals and maintain a better balance in the diet.
