I got the chance to see my good friend Matt this past Thursday.

We decided to meet at Panera, since we both had work to get done.

Two hours into our work block, we took a quick "break" to eat breakfast... only it wasn't much of a break.

We both still had our laptops open, checking our inboxes while wolfing down our meals.

I paused.

What message was this sending?

As I often tell my clients, not even taking 10-15 minutes to eat a meal without distractions screams:

• Fueling my body with nutrient-dense foods is NOT a priority
• Self-care isn't worthy of a spot on my calendar
• Mindful eating doesn't really matter
• I don't manage my time well

You may think this sounds dramatic, and yes: I realize people are busy. But everybody and their mother says they want to:

• Make better food decisions
• Take better care of themselves
• Eat more mindfully
• Develop better routines

Yet they have almost every meal while working, with a phone 6'' from their face, or in front of a TV or laptop.

Not only does this send a counterproductive message—to put it gently—but studies have shown that eating while distracted leads to worse food decisions, overeating, and poor digestion.

The solution?

One of my favorite pieces of eating advice is so simple it almost sounds dumb:

"When eating... just eat."

But simple doesn't mean ineffective. And few things are more in line with your goals that eating without distractions.

Here's a simple checklist:

• Am I sitting down without a screen in front of me?
• Do I have a glass of water on hand?
• Am I putting down my utensils between bites?
• Am I actually noticing textures and flavors?
• Am I chewing and swallowing before picking up my utensils again?
• Am I genuinely hungry for the next bite?
• How might these decisions make me feel in 30 minutes? An hour? What about later today or tomorrow?

I can tell you right now: eating like this feels wildly uncomfortable to most people. But like most things in health and fitness...

That's a dead giveaway you need to focus on it more.

Matt and I certainly do, as we laughed about after:

And again: I realize what I'm recommending here isn't always possible. I work with plenty of new parents, business owners, and people whose time is rarely their own.

But keep in mind:

1. Even taking 10-15 minutes to yourself trumps wolfing down a meal at your desk or in the car. It doesn't have to be an hour-long ordeal
2. You don't need to be perfect. Even going from 15-20 distracted meals per week to 5-10 is a huge step in the right direction

Fair enough?

You got this.

Sam

P.S. If this was a helpful reminder, I'd love to hear from you.