Crunch, chomp, munch, slurp. It might not be polite to chew loudly while you eat, but science says those noises might help you avoid overeating. Hearing your own crunching could eat help you eat fewer calories, according to a new Brigham Young University and Colorado State University study. Here's why you might eat less if you listen to yourself chew — and how to avoid noisy scenarios that might overpower your sense of hearing.
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The Benefits of Crunching
Researchers gave 71 participants a bowl of pretzels each and told them they could sample as many as they wanted. All participants wore headphones, and the researchers manipulated the sound so that some heard loud white noise, while others heard the same noise at a softer level. The result: Those in the loud group ate 45 percent more pretzels compared to those who could more clearly hear themselves chewing.
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What's wrong with listening to some tunes while you snack? Hearing yourself eat could serve as a "consumption monitoring cue," says study author Ryan S. Elder, an assistant professor of marketing at Brigham Young University. In other words, the crunch you hear when you're not wearing headphones helps you realize how much you're actually eating. "This is similar to a visual cue of how many chicken wing bones are on your plate," says Elder.
9 foods that boost metabolism naturally
Your metabolism is partly ruled by genetics, but you can rev it up naturally by eating right. Fill up on the following nine foods and beverages to increase your body's fat-burning power.
A study published in Physiology & Behavior found that the average metabolic rate of people who drank caffeinated coffee was 16% higher than that of those who drank decaf.
Egg whites are rich in branched-chain amino acids, which keep your metabolism stoked, says Chicago nutritionist David Grotto. Eggs are also loaded with protein and vitamin D.
Lean meat is full of iron; deficiencies in the mineral can slow metabolism. Eat three to four daily servings of iron-rich foods, such as chicken or fortified cereal.
If you're even mildly dehydrated, your metabolism may slow down, says Dr. Scott Isaacs, clinical instructor of medicine at the Emory University School of Medicine. Tip: Drink water cold, which forces your body to use more calories to warm it up.
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Chili peppers contain capsaicin, a chemical compound that can kick metabolism into higher gear, Isaacs says. He suggests adding a tablespoon of chopped chili peppers to a meal once a day. Chili peppers are also an unexpected source of vitamin C.
The brew contains a plant compound called EGCG, which promotes fat-burning, research suggests.
Whole grains help your body burn more fat because they take extra effort to break down than processed grains, like white bread and pasta. Whole foods that are rich in fiber, like brown rice and oatmeal are your best bets.
About 20% of women are iron deficient, which is bad news for your waistline -- your body can't work as efficiently to burn calories when it's missing what it needs to work properly. One cup of lentils provides 35% of your daily iron needs.
The study confirms what nutrition professionals have long known, says Marjorie Nolan Cohn, MS, RDN, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. "Mindful eating reduces the amount people eat, period."
Numerous studies show that chowing down while distracted makes you eat more, while tuning in can help you consume less. And research has also shown that mindful eating and mindfulness meditation-based interventions are effective for limiting binge eating, too. By paying greater attention, you're more likely to notice triggers that typically cause you to overeat, like always reaching for sweets when you're stressed or sad, or wolfing down an entire sleeve of Oreos when you're catching up on Netflix.
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14 ways to cut portions without feeling hungry
To lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you consume, which inevitably means one thing: portion control. But you're not necessarily doomed to a growling stomach until you reach your goal.
"Portion control doesn't mean you have to eat tiny portions of everything," says Lisa Young, author of "The Portion Teller Plan: The No-Diet Reality Guide to Eating, Cheating, and Losing Weight Permanently." "You don't want to feel like you're on a diet, but you have to eat fewer calories."
Here are 14 easy ways to cut portions, trim calories and lose fat without counting the minutes until your next meal.
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Drink 16 ounces (a big glass) of water before you eat, suggests Dawn Jackson Blatner, author of "The Flexitarian Diet." Filling your belly with water will naturally make you less likely to overeat, she says. Plus, some symptoms of dehydration may actually be what's causing your rumbling belly, so sipping some water before you eat may eliminate your "hunger" altogether.
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We're not suggesting you squeeze into pants that are too tight. However, wearing an outfit with a waistband or perhaps a jacket with buttons can serve as a tool to prompt you to slow down and assess how you feel during your meal, says Young. As your clothing begins to feel a little snugger, it may keep you from going back for seconds.
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Bulking up your meals with veggies is one easy way to cut calories while filling you up fast. Spinach can be used as a sandwich topper or can add fiber and nutrients to pasta and stir-fries, says Blatner. Other ideas to eat more veggies: swap in mushrooms for half the ground meat in most recipes, make oatmeal more filling with diced apples, and use a whole-wheat pita in place of bread so you can stuff it with more veggies.
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The color of your plate may influence how much you eat, according to a 2012 Cornell University study. The researchers discovered that when a plate and the food on it had a low color-contrast (like pasta with Alfredo sauce on a white plate), people at a buffet served themselves 22% more than when there was a higher color-contrast (like pasta with red sauce on a white plate or pasta with Alfredo sauce on a red plate).
The study conclusions suggest that if you want to eat less, select plates that have a color contrast to the food you're eating for dinner. Or if you want to eat more healthy foods, like a bigger salad, eat greens from a large green plate or bowl!
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Rethink the way you use grains and starches. Take a breakfast parfait: Instead of starting with a granola base, fill your cup with yogurt and then sprinkle just a tiny amount of granola on top for crunch. Making a stir-fry? Load up your plate with veggies and a serving of lean protein, and then add a quarter-cup of brown rice.
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Dim lights and listen to relaxing music to set the tone for a more leisurely meal, suggests Blatner. "Taking your time while eating increases enjoyment and decreases portions," she says. Remember to chew slowly, put down your fork between bites, and sip water to make your meal last longer.
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Here's another way to slow down your eating: munch on foods that require shelling, peeling or individual unwrapping, suggests Blatner. Oranges, edamame and pistachios in their shells are healthy options.
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When you sit down with a bag of chips, do you really know how many you're eating? Researchers from Cornell University sought to answer this question in a study and found that people ate 50% more chips when they were given no visual cues as to how large a portion should be. So if you buy a bag of pretzels or tin of nuts that contains 10 servings, divide the contents of the container into 10 smaller baggies ahead of time.
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Before you dive into your entree, have some soup. Though it may seem counterintuitive to add to your meal, research shows that starting a meal with soup may help you reduce your overall calorie intake. In a 2007 study, people who ate soup before their lunch entree reduced their total calorie intake by 20%. Your best bet: a broth-based soup, preferably with veggies to help you feel full from natural fiber, says Young. Here are a few
healthy soup recipes to get you started.
In a Cornell University study published in the journal PLoS One, researchers observed people at two separate breakfast buffet lines that featured the same seven items: cheesy eggs, potatoes, bacon, cinnamon rolls, low-fat granola, low-fat yogurt and fruit. One line presented the foods from healthiest to least-healthy, while the other line had the order reversed.
Regardless of which line they passed through, more than 75% of diners put the first food they saw on their plates; the first three foods they encountered in the buffet made up two-thirds of all the foods they added to their plate. So take a stroll around the buffet or dinner table before you serve yourself, suggests Young.
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It's OK to have a cocktail with your meal if that's what you really want, but keep it to one glass and enjoy it slowly, suggests Young. To trick yourself into believing you're having more, pour your drink into a tall, thin glass. A 2005 study published in the journal BMJ revealed that practiced bartenders who poured what they thought was a shot of alcohol (1.5 ounces) into a short, wide glass poured 20% more than when the glass was tall and thin. Add extra ice to your drink to make it look like even more!
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Turn off the TV and put your smartphone away while you eat. A recent review of studies found that people who watched television during meals tended to consume more than those who ate without any distractions. And for you office dwellers? Consider taking your lunch break away from your desk: In an American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study, people who played computer solitaire while having lunch felt less full at the end and went on to eat more later in the day than those who didn't play the game.
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Turns out that even food experts aren't so savvy about eyeballing portion sizes. In a Cornell University study, 85 nutrition experts gathered for an ice cream social to celebrate the success of a colleague. They were randomly given either a small or large bowl, or a small serving scoop or large serving scoop. Then, the nutritionists were asked to complete a brief survey while the study researchers secretly weighed their bowls.
Those given the larger bowls served themselves 31% more without realizing it, while those who used the larger scoop unknowingly served themselves 14.5% more. Moral of the story: Dish up your own food with a small utensil onto a small bowl or plate, and chances are you'll eat less.
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Many people have trained themselves to expect a sweet treat at the end of a meal, says Blatner. Swap in a healthier ritual after meals to signal that you're done eating. She recommends brewing a flavorful decaf tea like peppermint, cinnamon, chocolate or one of your favorite fruity varieties for a low- or-no-calorie sweet-tooth satisfier.
This article originally appeared on Health.com.
The bad news: Eating in silence, alone and without any sort of stimuli is the best way to really concentrate on what you're consuming, says Cohn. Kind of sounds like a drag, right? Since eating in an anechoic chamber isn't exactly realistic for most of us, she recommends limiting distractions to something that only requires one sense. For example, you're better off enjoying a snack while reading, which engages your sense of sight, instead of watching TV, which takes both your eyes and ears off your food.
But what do you do when you're catching the big game with some friends at a bar? It can be difficult to limit the distractions in an environment like that. We asked Cohn for advice on situations that could overload your senses and set you up for overeating.
Three Loud Eating Scenarios (And What to Do)
1. In a Noisy Sports Bar
When you're out at a bar with friends, every single one of your senses is engaged. And before you know it, your intention to have just a few fries and wings could easily turn into a mindless binge. Your action plan: Eat before you go. If you're planning on being out for a while, you'll probably get hungry, so Cohn recommends looking at the menu ahead of time and making a plan. "Even a sports bar probably has some basic sandwiches or burgers you can customize, like a turkey burger without the fries," she says.
2. At Your Desk With Headphones On
If your lunchtime M.O. is blasting Spotify on your headphones while catching up on emails, you're more likely to overeat, says Cohn. Lose the distractions and take advantage of your lunch break by getting away from your desk. Don't feel like you can unchain yourself from your inbox? Plan ahead and bring a well-portioned meal. (Need ideas? Here are seven healthy lunch recipes.) If you buy a large lunch, put what you don't think you truly need in the office fridge right away, so it's not right next to you when you're checking emails. "People tend to eat more when it's readily available," says Cohn.
3. Commuting With the Radio On
When you're rushing in the morning, you're focused on anything but your breakfast, says Cohn. From driving through traffic to thinking about the workday ahead of you and listening to the radio, your mind won't register how or what you're eating. That egg sandwich could wind up devoured in mere seconds! Instead of scarfing down food in transit, you're better off waking up a few minutes early to leave yourself time to slowly enjoy breakfast before starting your day.
If that's not an option and you absolutely must eat on-the-go, then plan, portion and pack, says Cohn. That way, "there's no chance of overeating, like when you're eating from a big bag of trail mix and next thing you know you've eaten the entire bag."