Eat while doing something else, whatever work, read or chatting, puts your diet at risk. The latest demonstration comes from a study by the University of Tokyo which emphasizes the strong risk of overweight when you don't dedicate an exclusive time to meals.
"That's right," he comments Enrico Prosperi, medical specialist in clinical psychology, Lazio president of the country's society for the study of eating disorders. "When we eat in a distracted way the functions of the brain responsible for the attention and control of our behaviors are not used.
With negative effects: the absence of concentration does not allow you to carefully select the quality and quantity of the food in front of you. The result is that you do not eat, but gulp down large portions of food automatically ».
The sacredness of the table
Il time, on the other hand, it is one of the main allies against extra pounds. «Taking at least half an hour to enjoy a meal in peace has a positive effect on the tightness of the diet because it allows you to slow down the pace at which you bring the morsels to your mouth, to feel more satisfied and, consequently, more satiated ", explains , psychotherapist, president of Aidap (Association of the country for eating disorders and weight).
"Also, if you focus on taste and savor what you are eating, the meal becomes a pleasure and you don't feel the need to gratify yourself with other food ». To lose weight, therefore, enter into the perspective of considering breakfast, lunch and dinner as a moment in which you not only nourish the body but also mind. Below, Dr. tells you how.
4 tricks
1. Prepare 10 minutes before a meal: remove the thought of upcoming commitments and focus on yourself. Begin to taste the dishes that await you, visualized while you eat and smile at this image. Get these 10 minutes into yours daily routine, in order to sit at the table relaxed and serene.
2. Establish at least 30 minutes for each meal and include them in the day's activities, just like a work commitment. This priority it allows you to have an active, selected and aware state of mind about what you are doing.
3. Shut the world out. And turn off everything: TV, cell phone, iPad. If you keep in touch with the outside at mealtimes, they can get to you negative emotions that create anxiety with the inevitable consequence of eating more and badly.
4. Create your own ritual, it will help you appreciate the minutes spent eating. You choose the one that gratifies you the most, from giving yourself a little whim to set a beautiful table.
