Eating with hands has its good old history in India. It was not only a part and parcel of our traditions but was also the simplest way of eating food. In today’s time there are not many people who still eat with their hands. With glittery and fancy cutlery taking over our traditions, most people find eating with spoons more convenient. But do you know that eating with hands has its own list of health benefits?
Here are some good enough reasons to toss your cutlery away and start eating with your hands:
Increases blood circulation
Eating with your hands is a wonderful exercise which further helps in blood circulation.
Be it mixing your food together or forming bites of dal and roti, using your hands makes your joints and fingers move, which is equivalent to any hand exercise.
Helps you maintain food proportion
Eating with hands is a comparatively slow process than eating with a spoon. Thus, you not only spend more time chewing the food but also eat lesser than how much you usually eat with a spoon.
Forms a connection with food
Eating using hands has been an old tradition of our Indian culture. In those times, people not only used their hands to eat but also used to sit on the ground during meals. Though it has been advanced to fancy cutlery and dining tables, eating with hands still hold a special connection with each one of us. Eating with hands not only makes us feel nostalgic but also makes us form a connection with what we are eating.
Better digestion
Our hands, stomach and intestine are home to some bacteria which is said to protect us from diseases. Eating with hands help these bacteria enter our body and protects our digestive system from getting exposed to harmful bacteria. Make sure you always wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before sitting for meals.
Might prevent type-2 diabetes
Eating with spoons and cutlery correlates with faster eating that has been linked with blood-sugar imbalances in the body. This might give rise to 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, as compared to people without the condition. It has already been proven that eating with hands, slows down the eating process and thus, prevents you from developing type-2 diabetes.
Thus, ditching your spoons and forks is the best way to have a healthier body and gut.
FAQs
Apart from the cultural significance, eating with hands also offers several practical benefits: Temperature Sensing: Our hands act as natural thermometers, enabling us to gauge the temperature of hot or cold foods before they reach our mouths. This prevents us from burning our mouths or unpleasant cold surprises.
Is eating with spoons healthy? ›
Eating with spoons and forks is associated with faster eating, which has been related to blood-sugar imbalances in the body, which contributes to the development of type 2 diabetes. So, instead of using utensils, eat with your hands to ensure you slow down intentionally.
Is it more healthy to eat with hands? ›
Eating with hands can stimulate the production of digestive enzymes and juices in the mouth and stomach, which can help break down the food more efficiently and prevent indigestion, bloating, and gas.
Is eating with hands uncivilized? ›
Eating with your hands isn't exclusive to any particular culture. It's a common practice in Ethiopia, Oaxaca, many South Asian countries, and other regions throughout the Middle East, Africa, and South America. Yet somewhere along the way, it was deemed uncivilized in the West.
Should we eat rice with a hand or spoon? ›
The fork is easiest unless you are good with chopsticks. I've seen Chinese people eating with chopsticks and they serve their rice in a small bowl that makes using chopstick easier. Rice can be easily eaten with a spoon yet South and East Indians prefer their hands to eat rice.
What is the food etiquette in India? ›
While sharing is an important part of Indian etiquette, it is considered impolite to share a fork or spoon or drinking glass, to bite from someone else's food or to double dip. The left hand is not used for eating, even if you are left-handed. To do so is considered unclean.
What are 3 facts about spoons? ›
The word “spoon” developed from the Anglo-Saxon spon, means a splinter or chip of wood. Early spoons were carved from wood, bone, shell, stone and other materials. Spoons have been discovered in ancient Egypt, India, and both Greek and Roman cultures.
Are wooden spoons healthier? ›
Bacteria and germs are not huge fans of wood. In fact, wooden spoons are much safer than any other spoon thanks to their natural germ-killing properties. You'll still want to make sure your spoon follows all FDA regulations and contains none of the harmful chemicals that can leach into food.
Why do cultures eat with their hands? ›
Most individuals within Indian culture explain that this is the only way to truly experience a meal. Your hands are responsible for feeling how hot/cold the food is, textures, portion size and feeling connected. It is argued that we lose a great deal of connection with food when a utensil is put into the picture.
Where is it acceptable to eat with your hands? ›
In parts of Africa, South and Southeast Asia and the Middle East, eating with the hands has long been tradition and today for some remains routine, whether done in the comfort of home or at banquets where the highest levels of propriety prevail.
Fine motor skills are also necessary for cooking and eating, like: Picking up small foods like raisins. Eating with a fork or spoon. Opening and closing containers such as lunch boxes and zip-top bags.
Why do some cultures eat with their hands? ›
Most individuals within Indian culture explain that this is the only way to truly experience a meal. Your hands are responsible for feeling how hot/cold the food is, textures, portion size and feeling connected. It is argued that we lose a great deal of connection with food when a utensil is put into the picture.
Why do I suddenly want to eat with my hands? ›
Eating is sensory. And, in using your hands, you take the sensory experience to another level. You add another whole sense—touch. Since so much of taste and enjoyment of food is about texture, your hands function as another way of exploring the feel, the consistency, the make-up of your food.
Which cultures eat with hands? ›
Eating with fingers is not exclusive to South Asia. It is common to eat with one's hand in Ethiopian cuisine, Oaxacan cuisine, and many other regions of the Middle East, Africa, and South America. Yet, for years, many in the West viewed it as “uncivilized,” “unhygienic,” and even “cannibal.” Today, some still do.
