Eating with hands is an age-old tradition followed in India. But unfortunately, this tradition is rapidly disappearing among a new generation that is more inclined towards Western culture. They prefer eating with spoons and forks instead of hands. In fact, in today’s times, the practice of eating with hands is considered to be unhygienic, disgusting and primitive. It's really bad that most people are unaware of the fact that this ancient practice has a number of health benefits.
Here are some of the benefits proving eating with hands is a healthy habit:
- Eating with Your Hands Helps Increase Blood Circulation
Eating with hands itself is an excellent muscle exercise, which in turn increases blood circulation. The excessive movement of the hands may help keep the blood flow smoother.
- Stimulates Digestion
Our body is believed to have bacteria or flora, which resides in places like hands, mouth, throat, intestine and gut that protects us from harmful bacteria growing in the environment. When we eat with our hands, the friendly flora protects our digestive system from getting exposed to harmful bacteria, further stimulating the digestive system. This doesn't mean you forget to wash your hands before and after you eat!
- Believed to Help Lose Weight
According to a study published in the journal Appetite, when people ate by hand while simultaneously reading a newspaper or watching television, they were less hungry during snack-time, and opted for a lighter snack. Researchers concluded that eating by hand promotes a sense of fullness and satiety as compared to eating with cutlery. This, in turn, could help lose some kilograms.
- May Help Prevent Type-2 Diabetes
According to a study published in the journal Clinical Nutrition, people with type-2 diabetes were more likely to be fast eaters who used cutlery to eat, as compared to people without the condition. Eating with spoons and forks correlates with faster eating that has been linked with blood-sugar imbalances in the body, further contributing to the development of type-2 diabetes. So, ditch the utensils and instead eat with hands that will ensure slow down consciously.
- Helps Manage Food Portions
Eating with hands makes you eat slower than eating with cutlery, which is a much mechanical process. You have to pay attention to what you eat when you eat with hands, which makes you aware of how much you have eaten. Mindless eating is one of the biggest factors of gaining weight; hence, managing food portions plays a key role. Moreover, using hands makes you experience the food better and enjoyable.
- Protects your body from harmful bacteria
Not all bacteria are bad - some bacteria are really good for your body and they protect you from various harmful bacteria present in the environment. Some of these good bacteria also reside on our hands. So when you eat with your hands, you will consume these beneficial bacteria along with food. And this in turn will help maintain the natural balance of good and bad bacteria in your body. However, make sure to wash your hands before and after meals to keep them clean and hygienic.
- Makes eating fun
Eating with your hands is not only good for your health, but also makes eating more fun! Also it is beleived that food tastes better when you have it with your hands. So, next time when you have a meal with your friends of family, just try serving it up without silverware, and see how everyone enjoys your food more!
- Protects your mouth from getting burnt
When eating with hands, you’ll never burn your mouth by putting something that is too hot to eat. Because your hands can gauge how hot the food is. On the other hand, when you use a spoon or fork to eat, the food goes directly from your plate into your mouth. In this case, you’re more likely to scald your tongue or burn your mouth as your brain will not get the signal whether the food is too hot for you to put in your mouth.
Eating with hands is an age-old tradition followed in India. But unfortunately, this tradition is rapidly disappearing among a new generation that is more inclined towards Western culture. They prefer eating with spoons and forks instead of hands. In fact, in today’s times, the practice of eating with hands is considered to be unhygienic, disgusting and primitive. It's really bad that most people are unaware of the fact that this ancient practice has a number of health benefits.
Here are some of the benefits proving eating with hands is a healthy habit:
- Eating with Your Hands Helps Increase Blood Circulation
Eating with hands itself is an excellent muscle exercise, which in turn increases blood circulation. The excessive movement of the hands may help keep the blood flow smoother.
- Stimulates Digestion
Our body is believed to have bacteria or flora, which resides in places like hands, mouth, throat, intestine and gut that protects us from harmful bacteria growing in the environment. When we eat with our hands, the friendly flora protects our digestive system from getting exposed to harmful bacteria, further stimulating the digestive system. This doesn't mean you forget to wash your hands before and after you eat!
- Believed to Help Lose Weight
According to a study published in the journal Appetite, when people ate by hand while simultaneously reading a newspaper or watching television, they were less hungry during snack-time, and opted for a lighter snack. Researchers concluded that eating by hand promotes a sense of fullness and satiety as compared to eating with cutlery. This, in turn, could help lose some kilograms.
- May Help Prevent Type-2 Diabetes
According to a study published in the journal Clinical Nutrition, people with type-2 diabetes were more likely to be fast eaters who used cutlery to eat, as compared to people without the condition. Eating with spoons and forks correlates with faster eating that has been linked with blood-sugar imbalances in the body, further contributing to the development of type-2 diabetes. So, ditch the utensils and instead eat with hands that will ensure slow down consciously.
- Helps Manage Food Portions
Eating with hands makes you eat slower than eating with cutlery, which is a much mechanical process. You have to pay attention to what you eat when you eat with hands, which makes you aware of how much you have eaten. Mindless eating is one of the biggest factors of gaining weight; hence, managing food portions plays a key role. Moreover, using hands makes you experience the food better and enjoyable.
- Protects your body from harmful bacteria
Not all bacteria are bad - some bacteria are really good for your body and they protect you from various harmful bacteria present in the environment. Some of these good bacteria also reside on our hands. So when you eat with your hands, you will consume these beneficial bacteria along with food. And this in turn will help maintain the natural balance of good and bad bacteria in your body. However, make sure to wash your hands before and after meals to keep them clean and hygienic.
- Makes eating fun
Eating with your hands is not only good for your health, but also makes eating more fun! Also it is beleived that food tastes better when you have it with your hands. So, next time when you have a meal with your friends of family, just try serving it up without silverware, and see how everyone enjoys your food more!
- Protects your mouth from getting burnt
When eating with hands, you’ll never burn your mouth by putting something that is too hot to eat. Because your hands can gauge how hot the food is. On the other hand, when you use a spoon or fork to eat, the food goes directly from your plate into your mouth. In this case, you’re more likely to scald your tongue or burn your mouth as your brain will not get the signal whether the food is too hot for you to put in your mouth.
