What we ingest affects our physical energy, our mind, our moods and our longevity. The fundamental truth – the human journey begins and ends with the body. So then, paying attention to what, when and how we eat is very important in life. When we eat healthy we feel great. When we eat poorly we feel unwell.
With that said, there has always been that delicate connection to food and emotions that we cannot overlook. Our physical, mental and emotional life balances can be challenging at times. Due to many of us dealing with varying degrees of life stress we tend to overeat or grab food on the go while at the same time dealing with a love-hate relationship with our bodies. We indulge, deprive, stuff, starve, overwork, underwork, spoil, punish, enjoy and make them suffer. So, when we combine our emotional and mental stress in these physical scenarios, what occurs is eating when we need to feel better.
For instance, do you ever find yourself racing to the fridge when you’re feeling upset or having a bad day? Reaching for those chips and chocolate after a break-up or under stress? Well, you are not alone! Finding comfort in food is very common and it is part of the practice called emotional eating. Research has linked weight gain to stress, and as most people rate their life stress at high levels, this would greatly explain this dilemma.
At times, stress can actually shut down our appetite. When the nervous system sends messages to the adrenal glands, adrenaline triggers the body’s physiological fight and flight response, that temporarily puts eating on hold. But, if stress continues, it can be a different result. The adrenaline glands then release another horomone called cortisol, which increases appetite and leads to the urge of eating.
At times, the strongest food cravings hit us when we are at our weakest point emotionally. We turn to food for comfort when facing a difficult problem in life, feeling stressed, sad, angry or bored. Studies have shown that mental or emotional distress increases the intake of food high in fat, sugar or salt. People who emotionally eat, reach for food several times a week or more to suppress and sooth negative feelings. The shame or guilt felt after eating this way, leads to a cycle of excess eating and associated issues, such as weight gain.
Emotional eating can sabotage your weight-loss efforts, often leading to eating too much, when we shouldn’t be while on a stricter regimen. It is also more common for women to have problems with emotional eating than for men. If this sounds like what is going on in your life, do not fear, as you can take steps to regain control of your eating habits and get back on track with your weight-loss goals. Do not let a stumble in the road be the end of your weight-loss journey. Keep on going.
So, what actually does it mean to emotionally eat? Emotional eating is eating as a way to suppress or soothe negative emotions, such as stress, anger, fear, boredom, sadness and loneliness. Major life events or, more commonly, the challenges of daily life can trigger negative emotions that lead to emotional eating and disrupt your weight-loss efforts. These triggers might include:
- Work or other life stressors
- Fatigue
- Relationship struggles
- Hormonal changes
- Fear
- Boredom or lonlieness
- Financial worries
- Health problems
Numerous studies have shown that mental or emotional distress increases the intake of high caloric foods to make us feel full, almost like filling a life void. High cortisol levels in combination with high insulin levels, may be a responsible factor. Other research suggests that ghrelin, a hunger hormone, may play a role.
Once ingested fat and sugar filled foods seem to have a feedback effect that dampens stress related response and emotions. Thus, the comfort description as they seem to counteract our stress. Although some people eat less in the face of strong emotions, if you’re in emotional distress you might turn to impulsive or binge eating, quickly consuming whatever is convenient, without enjoyment. In fact, your emotions can become so tied to your eating habits that you automatically reach for a treat whenever you’re angry or stressed without thinking about what you’re even doing.
Food also serves as a distraction. If you’re worried about an upcoming event or stewing over a conflict, for instance, you may focus on eating comfort food instead of dealing with the painful situation. Negative emotions may lead to a feeling of emptiness or an emotional void. Food is believed to be a way to fill that void and create a false feeling of fullness or temporary wholeness.
Whatever emotions drive you to overeat, the end result is often the same. The effect is temporary, the emotions return and you likely then bear the additional burden of guilt about setting back your weight-loss goal. This can also lead to an unhealthy cycle — your emotions trigger you to overeat, you then beat yourself up for getting off your weight-loss track, you feel bad about the situation and then you do it all over again.
When negative emotions threaten to trigger emotional eating, you can take steps to control cravings. To help stop emotional eating, try these tips:
- Start a food diary – write down what, when, why and how much you are eating. Check how you are feeling when you eat and how hungry you are. Over time, you might see patterns that reveal the correlation between the food you eat when in certain moods
- Exercise – can decrease stress levels which cause food cravings
- Eat a healthier diet – fuel your body with healthy snacks and low-fat foods
- Remove unhealthy foods – lessen access to high fat foods
- Move your body – exercise helps diffuse emotional stress such as anxiety and depression
- Try meditation – calming and relaxation takes focus off of binge eating
- Lower your life stress – if stress contributes to your emotional eating, try a stress-management technique, such as yoga, meditation or deep breathing
- Check if actually hungry – is your hunger physical or emotional? If you ate just a few hours ago and don’t have a rumbling stomach, you’re probably not hungry. Give the craving time to pass.
- Pay attention to volume – choose portion control to be mindful of eating habits
- Banish distractions – change patterns or habits that induce the need to eat
- Seek support – you’re more likely to give in to emotional eating if you lack a good support network. Lean on family and friends or consider joining a support group.
- Positive self-talk – learn from any setbacks and get back on track. No need for shame or guilt, keep on trying.
- Reduce boredom – instead of snacking when you’re not hungry, distract yourself and substitute a healthier behavior. Take a walk, watch a movie, play with your pet, listen to music, read or take up a new hobby.
- Remove temptation – try to keep hard-to-resist comfort foods out of your home. And if you are having a bad day and are feeling down, postpone your trip to the grocery store until you have your emotions in check.
- Don’t deprive yourself – when trying to lose weight, you will want to limit calories too much, eat the same foods repeatedly, get enough of them, while banishing all treats. This may just serve to increase your food cravings, especially in response to emotions. Try to eat satisfying amounts of healthier foods, while still enjoying an occasional treat now and then in order to get plenty of variety of different food selections which in turn help to reduce cravings.
- Snack healthy – if you feel the urge to eat between meals, choose a healthy snack, such as fresh fruit, vegetables with low-fat dip, nuts or unbuttered popcorn. Or try lower calorie versions of your favorite foods to see if they satisfy your craving.
- Learn from setbacks -if you happen to slip and end up having an episode of emotional eating, forgive yourself and then get back on track the next day. We need to learn from our experiences and make a plan for how to prevent them in the future. By focusing on the positive changes you’re making in your eating habits, we are able to give ourself credit for making changes that’ll lead to improved health.
One of the most effective means of increasing the quality and quantity of life is through our diet. Here are a few tips:
- Eat less food – smaller portions with less calories in moderation are recommended
- Eat less protein – lowers cholestorol levels, improves heart functioning
- Intermittent Fasting – rests the digestive system, improves immune function and cleanses the body
- Raw vegetables and fruits – provide necessary fiber for elimination, ensures nutrition and vitality
- Chew well – slow down eating habits to assist with digestion and enjoying the food you eat
Our body is the only thing we are guaranteed to keep for a lifetime. It is our personal foundation and enhances every human capacity. So, it pays to make peace with it and treat it well. When we are feeling more mentally and emotionally stable, we are better able to provide healthy choices for our body. Food may help ease emotions initially, but it is so important to get to the bottom as to what is actually causing the emotional eating. Try observing your emotional eating as an opportunity to get more in touch with your life. Take the process day by day until a better understanding of yourself and the development of healthier eating habits take place. Be patient with yourself. With continued awareness you will soon show and feel positive results, physically, mentally and emotionally.
Ultimately, you are the final authority over how and what you feed your body. Find out what works best for you. Favour experimentation and intuition over rigid rules as diet is a lifelong learning practice.
And remember, when we have our health, anything is possible in life.
