Our electronic devices have become such a ubiquitous part of our lives we really wouldn’t know what to do without them.  From our cellphones, to our laptops, personal computers, iPads to our big screen TV’s, we have to admit these devices are here to stay whether we like it or not.

Having such a variety of ways to connect and communicate with others is a gift yet at times a curse.  When we are constantly connected to and with these devices, we are disconnecting ourselves from other important aspects of our life.

If there is one time we really need to totally disconnect and part ways with our “screens” is when we sit down to eat a meal.  Mealtime should be kept “screen free” allowing us to put our full focus on the food we are eating learning to enjoy every morsel.

Think about this.  When we push aside our screens at a mealtime, we are saying my food and my health are more important that what is going on in social media or that my texts and email messages can wait.  When we carve out and open up that time to only concentrate on the food on our plate, we win in the long run.

One way we win is that it helps us eat less food because we are less likely to overeat.  When our attention is so engrossed by what’s happening on our electronic devices, we are not cued in to what our body is trying to tell us. 

By putting that screen off to the side, you can begin practicing more mindful eating.  Doing this helps us to learn the feeling of satiation.  Satiation is the perception of fullness that builds throughout a meal to where you eventually reach a degree of fullness and satisfaction that halts eating.  Satiation also generally determines how much food you will eat at a meal. By learning to recognize at what point during the meal you feel that feeling of fullness, it’s your body’s way of saying “I’ve had enough. You can stop eating.”  If we did this every time when we sat down to eat a meal, think of how many calories you would save by not eating past the point of fullness which can lead to weight gain.

A second way we win is the simple fact we can learn the lost art of enjoying our food.  I’m not saying we don’t currently enjoy our food, but I talking about really focusing on the taste, texture, smell and mouthfeel of the bite we just took.  Practice it sometime.  You’ll be amazed at the tremendous variety of flavors and textures our food tantalizes our taste buds with and how much we should relish that. 

Eating is one of the top pleasures in life.  Electronic devices will come and go during our lifetimes but our need for satisfaction and gratification will always be with us which food provides. Don’t let an electronic device keep you from experiencing this basic bit of happiness we all can use.