Hey, I hope that you are doing well? To be honest, have you ever noticed yourself running to the pantry when you are upset or bored? I am addicted to food, I can’t stop over-eating, and I am a chronic emotional over-eater. Does this sound like you?
Emotional Eating refers to eating in response to emotions and feelings other than hunger.
When food is used as a way for satisfying feelings instead of hunger is termed Emotional Eating. This sort of Eating is termed harmful as it results in a host of weight-related health problems.
Moreover, diabetes, high blood pressure, and fatigue are other instances. The examples prove how your body pays for it. Signs that you are an emotional eater-
- Changed eating habits
- Eating when you are full
- Eating to avoid dealing with a stressful situation
Stress Eating is bad or not?
After a stressful day, when you look for ice cream in the freezer to cool your emotions, it can be referred to as “stress-eating,” but Emotional-Eating suits you best.
Using food to cope with emotions is our basic learned behavior. No doubt that stress-eating is bad for you.
It is not bad- Humans are emotional creatures. A brain inside our head is hardwired to feel a range of complex or uncomfortable situations. It depends on the thoughts traveling through our brain synapses. So, how can we think that eating without emotions is possible?
Stress eating is ok as it is an acceptable way to cope with intense or uncomfortable situations.
Why is it harmful? – Stressful Eating increases the risk of obesity and other diseases. 5 demerits are listed below.
- May promote excess body fat
- May disrupt hunger regulation
- Impair brain functions
- Causes excessive gas and bloating
- It makes you tired or sluggish.
Things to do for avoiding it-
Snacking is a way to entertain ourselves. I repeat away, not a specific option for getting entertained. A list of other activities is also available that can lift our spirits. It is advisable to try them next time you feel bored.
- Call a friend– A good chat with a good buddy is capable of making you stress-free. Besides stress, you can share the good news and career objectives.
- Cleaning the room: The job will make you and your family members happy. A drawer, shampoo bottle in the bathroom and, old clothes in the wardrobe are some instances to be preferred.
- Go to walk with your pet or dear one– Increasing your step count for the day can be a great go-to when you are bored. Besides, a great way to the pet’s therapy.
- Execute your healthy eating plan for the week– Planning helps to throw the strategies together at the right time. You can prepare a shopping list, portion out healthy snacks, and draw up a menu.
- Books are your best friend- A book helps to improve your outlook by exploring a topic like mindful Eating.
- Maintain a balance between workout and listening to music– Pounding out a few mills on the treadmill while listening to music helps to make your workout fly.
- Becoming a volunteer for helping someone gives inner peace and satisfaction- The task of helping makes us feel good. Besides, it makes ourselves, and others feel proud of us.
- Take on a new hobby- Learning a new skill exercises our brain, gives us an idea to share at our next party, and increases self-esteem.
- Take a class- It’s good to learn something new at every stage. The class, besides improving your skill-set, provides an opportunity to connect with new friends and people. For instance, you can learn painting, a foreign language, or cooking.
- Inspirational quotes are to be noted for preparing your own. An inspirational quote by Mahatma Gandhi-‘Positive affirmations hit the pleasure centers of the brain’.
5 Strategies that help to stop stress eating-
The food you preferred for making you feel good can make you feel worse. Here are 5 strategies for making sure that your emotions don’t turn into diet damage in the long run.
- Get down to the root cause- A bad day at work or a fight with a friend are short-term issues. Stress eating can stem from issues like chronic stress, depression, and other more significant issues.
If these apply, it can be solved by counseling, stress management, exercise, and other techniques. Before going for it, you are recommended to address the true source of it.
- Ask, why are you eating? – It’s better to pause and ask yourself, are you hungry? Mindless Eating is easy, but by asking such questions, you recognize your motivation.
- Swap out your worst snacks- I bet that if you were hungry, you would eat the food that you hate the most. It is advisable to keep frozen berries ready. They can easily be thrown into a blender for making a healthy sorbet.
This is a great crunchy option to fill you up with protein and fiber.
- Choose food that fights stress- Have you ever noticed why tea is offered in emotional situations? It often contains antioxidants for reducing stress levels. The other suggested products are- dark chocolate, whole grains, and nuts.
- Make emergency packages- Emergency snack packages are your healthy snack options on an ongoing basis. The package contains- nuts, popcorn, or sliced veggies.
Beyond this, if you require any medical help, feel free to go for it. Your doctor will solve the issues with a full treatment plan.
Final words
Stress eating affects both sexes. It may be caused by a number of factors that include- stress, hormonal changes, or mixed hunger cues. Rather than eating, regular exercise is the best way to relieve stress. Regular exercise positively affects your mood by relieving anger, tension, depression, and anxiety that go hand in hand with stress.
Finally, Emotional Eating doesn’t heal emotional issues. Eat to fuel your body, not to feed your emotions.
A professional writer with over a decade of incessant writing skills. Her topics of interest and expertise range from health, nutrition and psychology.