You’re more likely to bloat eating in front of the telly and here’s why

It all makes sense.

Always feeling bloated after your dinner? Well, turns out it could have a lot to do with where you’re eating it. Yes, if you’re sitting down on the sofa, in front of the TV to enjoy your meal then that could be the cause of the bloating. According to nutrional therapist, Hannah Braye, eating while bingeing Netflix can have a seriously negative effect on our digestion.

“Eating on the go, in front of the TV or at your desk in front of a computer has a detrimental effect on digestion,” she told Cosmopolitan.

Hannah says that the first step in digesting food is called the cephalic stage. This is triggered by our senses which “stimulates around 20 percent of the digestive secretions needed to digest a meal”.

“When we focus on other things rather than our food,” Hannah says, “the cephalic phase is inhibited, which can contribute to bloating.”

Yep, if we’re distracted from our meal, we’re less likely to be able to break the food down after we’ve eaten it leading to that sluggish after-meal feeling.

"Give your food the attention it deserves," the expert says. "Turn off the TV and computer and get away from your desk at lunch. Focus on the anticipation of eating along with the flavours, textures and smells or each mouthful."

Right, we’re just heading to the dining table.