Paying attention to what you eat makes you focus more on eating and realize what and how much you are eating.
This week a major news portal announced five series, with short episodes, to watch during lunch. Two years ago an important music and culture magazine had made similar suggestions. Being a fanatic of the series, I agree that the suggestions are great, the problem is the recommendation to put screens during meals. I’ll explain!
More and more nutritionists and doctors are emphasizing the importance of paying attention to what you eat. This basic attitude makes the person focus more on eating and realize what and how much they are eating, increasing the chances of eating healthier foods in greater moderation.
The sense of satiety is linked not only to the quantity and quality of food, but also to the visualization of it, to the experience of being able to appreciate smells, flavors and textures, as well as the perception of the meal as a unique and special moment.
Anyone who watches a series while having lunch can find themselves with their eyes and brain “stuck” in the plot and characters, unable to pay due attention to lunch or dinner. This impact can be even greater if this series is highly additive (like many of the recommended, easy “marathon” ones).
As a result, the person tends to eat faster, to resort to more industrialized foods (easier to prepare and “devour”, often without even needing to use cutlery) and, worse, to eat much more than necessary because they don’t realize take into account how much you are consuming.
Furthermore, by watching series or short videos during meals, you miss the opportunity to interact with friends and family. Research suggests that eating together strengthens bonds and social interactions and reduces the stress of daily life, while also contributing to healthier eating.
Just as screens and TV series should be left aside during meals, they too should not enter the bathroom during times dedicated, for example, to evacuation.
Proctologists have warned against the increasingly common association between cell phones and the bathroom, which leads people to spend much more time sitting, without concentrating at that moment on the main objective and, therefore, to increase effort, which can aggravate, for example, hemorrhoids and fissures in the anus.
Also, it’s not a good idea to watch series in bed when you go to sleep. This habit carries the risk of worsening the quality of sleep and the number of hours of sleep. Instead of preparing the body and brain for rest, series can make our attention more “connected”, both to the light stimulus coming from the screen and to the excitement brought by the scenes. It becomes more difficult to sleep and, of course, the next day the person becomes more tired and has more difficulty concentrating and paying attention. To complete the non-virtuous cycle, those who are sleepy during the day also tend to eat poorly.
Moral of the story, to ensure better health, well-being and quality of life, series should be watched and enjoyed during the moments of our day dedicated to free time, and not while eating, going to the bathroom or sleeping. And you, what’s your next story? Away from the table, of course!
*Jairo Bouer is a psychiatrist and writes weekly for Terra Você.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
