The Good-to-Know of Multi-Tasking
5:09 PM
By: Kristi Tamaki, RD / Best Teen Diets Contributor
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Have
you ever noticed how much you eat when you are watching TV or trying to
figure out math homework? What about when you aren’t doing either of
those things? It seems like we frequently consume our snacks and meals
while trying to complete other things or while trying to make what we
are in the middle of doing, less boring (ie: Facebook chatting while
typing up an essay). It isn’t necessarily what you are eating that becomes the problem when you are distracted, but how much.
Here are some news snippets that may make you want to change from
multi-tasking to mono-tasking (focusing on one thing at a time):
- A study in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that distracted eaters ate MORE and were LESS FULL than focused eaters (that means, no playing online Scrabble while eating).
- Switching back and forth between tasks lowers our ability to maintain self-control (that means you will have a harder time trying to pass up the 20-oz soda sitting in front of you).
- It is more difficult for our brains to learn facts and concepts while we are distracted due to changes in our memory processing (we hate having to re-read pages over and over to remember what we’ve read).
- We actually spend more time trying to do multiple things at once than if we are focusing on one task at a time (wouldn’t you rather go shoot some hoops with a friend than do homework all day?)
Of course, we are not discouraging you from listening to music while working out--sometimes that can actually help motivate us. The goal is not to mono-task 24/7 but instead, consider when you are trying to retain a piece of information and need to focus on one thing. When you decide it is time to have a bite to eat, try setting aside 20 minutes or more for a meal so your mind and body are aware that they have been fed. You’ll also get a good break in so that you can continue what you were doing refreshed.
*Bonus snippet: Eating off of actual dishes--rather than from a box or bag--can help prevent overeating because our minds associate a clean plate with feelings of satisfaction and fullness.
Find more on these topics from the following resources:
- Eating While Working Can Make You Fat by Sue Shellenbarger at: http://blogs.wsj.com/juggle/2011/05/16/eating-while-working-can-make-you-fat/
- A Guide to Healthy Snacking by Lisa Whitmore: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/08/20/guide-to-healthy-snacking/
- Multi-Tasking Adversely Affects Brain’s Learning, UCLA Psychologists Report by Karin Foerde and Barbara Knowlton at: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/07/060726083302.htm
Best Teen Diets recommends healthy well balanced eating that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein and low-fat or fat-free dairy. We offer nutrition information for teens, parents and educators that emphasizes the importance of healthy eating for peak performance. For more information regarding healthy eating for teens visit www.bestteendiets.org
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