The Rule of Twos:Eating Habits for Better Health

Last week, we discussed inflammation and the impact it can have on our health. As part of my health certification course, we spent a lot of time learning ways to improve our health, including diving deeply into our eating habits. I personally have struggled with inflammation and the effects it has on my health. I mistakenly assumed I could diet my way to good health for years. The problem with that is the word diet, and believe me I have tried them all and had the same results, weight loss followed by weight gain with little impact on my overall health.

I first learned of inflammation, back in 2010, when I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, which is arthritis caused by inflammation. That was the first I learned that certain foods have the power to make us feel better, or worse when we consume them. During this coursework, I went beyond this understanding and added the knowledge that my actual eating habits themselves have an effect on inflammation and overall gut health. 

The Rule of Twos and the opening quote shared above, ”Fast eaters are fat eaters, has my name written all over it. Anyone who knows me, knows I am a super fast eater. As kids, we were taught not to talk with our mouths full, so eating was serious business. Eat, then we could talk, laugh and linger. I had no idea that this habit could actually impact my health, especially my gut health. I thought it was more important to focus on what I actually ate. I have heard to slow down my eating, but thought the main reason was to allow the brain to catch on to the fact that it had been fed. 

The Rule of Twos, is simple and has absolutely helped improve my eating habits. Further, it can help with inflammation, indigestion and constipation. The rule simply reminds you to:

• Eat twice as often.
• Eat half as much.
• Chew twice as long.
• Take twice the time to dine.

Grazing, or eating smaller amounts of food, throughout the day is a new approach to eating for me. On a good day, when working, I ate one big meal and maybe a yogurt at night. This grazing approach can decrease spikes in your blood sugar levels and help stabilize your insulin levels throughout the day. Eating less can also improve your digestion as your body has less food at once to metabolize, or digest. I find it very satisfying to eat this way and enjoy my healthy snacks as well. The trick there is to have things on hand to nibble on during the day, greek yogurt, humus, cut raw vegetables, fruit and nuts make great, easy to grab and go snacks. 

Eating half as much will help me eat less, but I think of it now as letting my body tell me what it actually needs, guiding my portions. When I make my plate now, I put half as much as I used to on it. When I finish eating that, I pause before even thinking of taking seconds. Most days I realize I don’t need to eat anymore. As the weeks have passed, I find myself satisfied with this new portion size, even when eating out. 

Chewing twice as long is something I am working on as a recovering fast eater. Chewing can definitely slow me down, but there is far more to this than just that fact. Digestion, I’ve learned, starts in your mouth, not your stomach. When you chew your food, it gets broken down into smaller pieces which are easier to digest. When mixed with saliva, chewing allows your body to extract the greatest possible amount of nutrients from the food you eat. This is why it is said you should not drink with, or immediately after eating. 

The last part of taking twice as long to dine, allows me to spend some quality time at the table relaxing and reflecting. In the past, once I was done eating, I would get up and immediately start cleaning up. Now, I spend some time at the table, engaged in conversation, if I am not eating alone. If I am alone, I take some time now to jot down thoughts in my daily journal, or just relaxing before cleaning up.

The Rule of Twos is super easy to incorporate into your wellness routine, with nothing to buy or study. The changes are indeed small, but the impact on your health and wellness will be large. Why not give it a try for a few weeks and see how you feel? If you do, please let me know how it went. Have questions about how to get started, shoot me an email, or leave a comment and I’ll get back to you to brainstorm a few ideas.