May 23, 2014: In many Indian households you will find that people sit on the floor and eat their meals. While most of us have embraced the table and chair as a place to eat, there are those of us who prefer to sit in front of the TV and, or sit on the bed and eat. While this might be very comfortable, it might not necessarily be the best thing for your health.
Our ancestors definitely had a plan when they made sure we sit on the floor, cross legged and ate our food. Here are 10 reasons going back to your roots is the best for your health.
1) Helps improve your digestion:
When you sit on the floor, you usually sit cross legged – an aasan known as sukhaasan, or a half padmasna which are poses that help in digestion (since it is believed that when one sits in this pose in front of food it automatically signals your brain to prepare for digestion). Apart from that when you eat from a plate placed on the floor, you will have to naturally bend forward slightly and go back to your starting position to swallow. This constant back and forth movement causes the muscles of your abdomen to be activated, and also leads to increased secretion of stomach acids – making it much easier for you to digest food.
2) Helps you lose weight:
Sitting on the floor and eating has significant weight loss benefits too. When you sit in this position, your brain automatically calms down and is better equipped to focusing on the food you eat. Moreover this position helps you cognate the amount of food you have eaten and helps you feel full faster. How does that work? Well, the main reason people overeat is because they do not know when they are full. This happens because the vagus nerve (the main nerve that transmits signals from the stomach to the brain) sends signals to the brain as you eat, telling it if you are satiated, or not. When you sit on the floor this nerve is able to perform better and transmit signals more efficiently. Also, since this position makes you eat slower than you would while sitting on a table, it gives your stomach and brain time to cognate the signals of feeling full{2}, thereby preventing overeating and binging.
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