Distracted??

I love my free subscription to Good Housekeeping for two reasons: it's free and Geneen Roth's column. {Besides that, there's lots of other great articles, home tips, and recipes.} An expert on emotional eating, she pens some truly insightful words regarding the "whys" of eating. I usually am still pondering the previous month's topic when my latest issue arrives.

This last one was on eating while distracted. You know, in front of the TV, at the computer desk, while driving, while reading, etc. I'm not sure if eating while trying to calm sibling squabbles or satisfy a fussy toddler, qualifies. The premise was that you think you're getting twice the enjoyment out of your meal, say by eating while watching your favorite movie. Geneen asserts that the premise is false. You're actually only getting half the pleasure from your food that you otherwise would have if you were just focused solely on what is going in your mouth. After giving it some thought, I'd have to agree. Ever notice how when you go to the movies, about 15 minutes into the main attraction your hand hits the bottom of the empty popcorn bucket. You look down. Huh? Who ate all my popcorn? I've even noticed the same thing while eating healthy snacks at my computer desk, which I try to refrain from doing these days. I'm mindlessly blog surfing or purging emails and before I know it, my hand is grasping at an empty plate.

It just makes more sense that to enjoy our food the most & get not only physical but physiological satisfaction from our meals, we shouldn't let our focus be divided. We should savor, enjoy, relish the taste, flavors and textures of our plate, not be improving our multi-tasking skills.This kind of thinking is reminiscent of one of the principles of the book that spurred on my healthy eating journey, French Women Don't Get Fat. I remember reading about how eating should be a ritual: using a real plate {as opposed to paper}, cloth napkins, sitting at the table, enjoying.

Are you guilty of being a distracted eater?