Sunday, July 31, 2011

Chew more and eat less, and chocolate ganache tart

Stir fried pork with rice and cabbage
Food Diary (July 30, 2011)
Breakfast: Missed
Lunch: Spinach omelet with sourdough
Dinner: Stir fried pork with rice and cabbage
Baking/sweets: Cappuccino chocolate cookies, chocolate coconut cookies

The stir fried pork was cooked in soya sauce with some spices. Stir fry is awesome and it reminds me of a takeaway restaurant in the Pacific, a hole in the wall, metaphorically and literally. You order your meal at the cashier and the chef is standing about 2 metres away from the cashier. He cooks the meal from scratch in front of you while you wait. The meal is ready in 2-3 minutes. What comes out is delicious and cheap, plus the cooking process is entertaining to watch. Entertainment is free.  


Today's Favourite Photo
Chocolate Ganache Tart



Today’s Favourite Blog
Interesting research, chewing your food for longer significantly reduces the amount of calories consumed during a meal, a study found. According to the study, volunteers who chewed each mouthful 40 times ate 12 per cent less food than those who chewed just 15 times.

It is thought chewing for longer prevents over-eating by giving the brain more time to receive signals from the stomach that it is full. It also appears to lower levels of ghrelin, the ‘hunger hormone’, circulating in the digestive system. And chewing for longer makes you more likely to notice the taste, smell and texture, which makes you more aware of what you’re eating and how much.

So if you beef is overcooked and chewy like old leather boots, take it as a blessing in disguise. Not only are you more likely to eat less you will get more exercise done, the jaws anyway.

I’ve tried this longer chewing approach many times, it certainly works but you really need to remember to do this, and that’s not so easy sometimes.

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16 comments:

  1. i've read that before too and i tried chewing my food "consciously" at least 20 times last year and it was so tough! but i heard its also even better for digestion since your stomach and intestines don't have to break down the food as much.

    and i don't know how you survive without breakfast in the morning! crazy!

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  2. Chew more, eat less is such great advice. It definitely works when I remember.

    That chocolate ganache tart is something I wish I was chewing on right now. Yum!

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  3. Wow pork! That what I like with this type of dishes its easy to prepare like what you said its ready in 3 minutes.

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  4. I could use that chew more, eat less.. I never chew as much as I should.. Sometimes I try, and I do that for couple of days, and then I forget again.. Terrible! How can I get used to chewing more?

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  5. I would love to close my eyes and be instantly transported to this "hole in the wall", but your pork looks fantastic too!
    I have already heard about the importance of chewing: the French eat more and more of the soft American style bread and apparently the soft texture makes them eat more of it than for example of the crunchy baguette. I certainly could eat more - and quicker - hamburgers in the soft bread than crunchy sandwiches bought at a French baker's...

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  6. That is such great advice. My mom always use to tell me that too!

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  7. Hehe ... i tried that ... chew more, eat less but ... oh my poor jaw! Hey, maybe it works 2 ways ... with a sore jaw, you can't eat anymore!

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  8. I love dessert. You have some great baked goods on your blog. I invite you to share some with us at Bake with Bizzy.
    http://bizzybakesb.blogspot.com/2011/07/bake-with-bizzy-11.html

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  9. Chew more and eat less...I must keep this in mind.
    The pork dish looks fantastic!

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  10. The pork looks amazing!
    I've heard that about chewing more.

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  11. Junia: I tried and was not so successful either. I tried today again but not sure if I ate more or less:)

    Hester Casey: me too , I would rather be chewing on the chocolate ganache tart, without counting!

    angsarap: quick and easy, doesn’t get much better than that!

    Marina: practice makes perfect? Or make sure the meat is not tender so you are forced to chew for longer:)

    Sissi: that’s interesting about the French and the ‘bad’ influence that soft bread is having. Coming from the South Pacific soft bread was normal for us, we didn’t like hard bread. Now it’s the opposite for me.

    Maris: your mum knew that already even before the research was published!

    ping: In that case it’s a good idea to not chew too much otherwise you won’t be eating anything.

    Bizzy: thanks for visiting

    Angie: good luck with trying it:)

    Carol: thank you

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  12. Your stir fried pork dish looks delicious!

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  13. Mr. Three-Cookies, the problem is the bread is the basis of every French meal. French children even have chocolate pieces put on bread and eat them for tea... (Maybe now it's often nutella, but I have already seen children doing this and even some older people). There are many home-made or restaurant-made dishes without any "standard" carbs (such as rice, potatoes, pasta etc.) apart from French bread in a basket, so the fact that soft bread is eaten quicker and in bigger amounts does influence the health...

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  14. Mmmm....that stir fry calls to me...gorgeous color.

    I don't think I could stand to chew that much. I usually go with taking smaller bites to savor my food longer. ;)

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  15. I have tried to chew for longer but I'm to impatient! The pork looks amazing I will definitely make this! Your food blog is gorgeous! Jenny

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  16. ah yes... the ol chew more trick. Indeed- it will take you longer to consume your food and for many reasons- you will tend to eat less... it takes longer to chew, your mouth gets exercise and gets tired of chewing, the more you chew- the less tasty the bite is because the flavor/juice has mostly already gone down your esophagus.... However... as you say- it takes a conscious effort to tell yourself "wait keep chewing just so I don't eat so much... "

    haha. great post. hmm and chocolate torte, ah heaven

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