The Trials of Technology and Intuitive Eating

Did you ever look around while you are walking somewhere and notice the people around you?  Is it more common that they are on a smartphone, listening to music or interacting with some electronic device rather than conversing with one another and paying attention to their surroundings?  I know for me the answer yes.

Technology has a way of taking over our lives, making us distracted.  When that distraction carries over into your eating, it finds you mindlessly munching away, not even aware of how much food you are consuming.  It also takes you away from being able to focus on your hunger and fullness cues, making it more difficult to be intuitive.

Sometimes it is nice to have information constantly at your fingertips.  You can look up food items at restaurants if you decide to eat out and you can look up healthier dining options if you find yourself stuck somewhere without any pre-packed meals or snacks.

But the problem is you develop a reliance on that technology rather than using your own common sense and internal signals.  If you are in the mood for a slice of pizza but one of your apps is telling you that you haven’t burned enough calories or you have eaten too many calories for the day, you decide to deny yourself of that pizza.  Then later on what happens?  The deprivation from earlier in the day leads to overeating on pizza that night.

You can see how technology can sometimes fight being intuitive.  Having so much reliance on electronic devices has you not relying on one of your most important devices—your brain and your body.  So hang up, turn-off, and listen to your hunger signals and desires rather than your iPhone app!  See how it goes.

Your turn to take action: Commit to not using technology or calorie counting apps for the next 3 days.  Listen to your internal signals and consider your needs.  How did it feel?