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One of these traditions is the basic practice of eating using our hands, now replaced mostly with the use of shiny cutlery. Though most of us may have turned to spoons and forks, some still like to eat their meal with hands. Back in ancient days, this practice was adopted by most civilizations including Indus valley, Greek and the Egyptians.It is believed that as per the Vedas, hands are the most precious organs of action and that every finger is an extension of the five elements
According to Ayurveda, the nerve endings of the fingertips are believed to boost digestion. In fact, you become more aware of the textures, taste and aromas as you eat using your hands and engaging the fingertips.
Here are some of the benefits proving eating with hands is a healthy habit
1. Eating With Your Hands Helps Increase Blood Circulation Eating with hands itself is an excellent muscle exercise, which in turn increases blood circulation.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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
5. 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.
originally posted by: rickymouse
Warm and juicy stuff I eat with my hands tends to make me have to go pee. That then makes me have to wash my hands, maybe it is a good thing.
originally posted by: IkNOwSTuff
originally posted by: rickymouse
Warm and juicy stuff I eat with my hands tends to make me have to go pee. That then makes me have to wash my hands, maybe it is a good thing.
LOL
Ive not heard of that problem before, I guess it sorta goes along with the thread premise that eating with your hands does in fact stimulate your body in different ways
originally posted by: ThatDidHappen
a reply to: rickymouse
Bottom line: Civilized people use cutelry,
primitve cultures use hands.
Having to use my fingers to eat once when I had
no fork or spoon, I used a knife. When no knife
I used some scissors once. It works if the surface
area of the utensil is large enough to pick up food
pieces.
Once we became civilized, food was cut into small
pieces easily eaten in one bite. Spaghetti is perfect
to eat with a fork but a mess when using fingers.
Using fingers gets the fingers all dirty with foodstuff.
I guess that is what the old-fashioned finger bowls
were for - to clean your dirty fingers between
each food group presented on the table. What a
waste of time, cleaning your fingers while having
your repast.
So, to use fingers/hands to eat food in general is
wrong.
originally posted by: ThatDidHappen
Bottom line: Civilized people use cutelry,
primitve cultures use hands.