Sit Down, Slow Down, and Unplug

I saw this photo by Suspended Coffees on Facebook (link below) and it reminded me of one of my mantras.
Suspended Coffees

Sit down, slow down and unplug.  If every day we made it a priority to do those three things when we ate, we would actually be able to:

1. Taste and enjoy our food, thereby receiving more nutrition from food that appeals to us.  (The science behind this is called the cephalic phase of digestion and basically when we eat food that is appetizing to us, we absorb more nutrients such as iron from that food as compared to food that doesn't appeal or engage our senses.)
2. Give time for our bodies to register fullness or satiety.  When we slow down, we actually eat less and achieve a more comfortable level of fullness.
3. When we remove distractions and focus on food and company or conversation, we are much less likely to over eat, and more likely to find satisfaction in our eating experience.
4. And lastly, it's just good manners.
 

So when you are about to eat something - consider my three simple pieces of advice: sit down, slow down and unplug - and find real enjoyment in food.