Hungary, don't eat junk food

We do a workshop on healthy eating for seniors and I was thinking about the last one I did and the other day and I noted that some of the participants talked about the fact they turned to junk food for comfort or eat impulsively when they were busy or bored? Self-soothing through food is a pattern that most people can identify with and one that many of us have lived with throughout our lives. In some cases, this is learned through our family systems growing up. For example, ice cream for a bad day or a bag of chips after a break-up. In other cases, cravings for junk food are biochemical. Stress releases the hormone, cortisol, which activates cravings for salty, sweet, and fried foods. These foods often give a quick but short-lived burst of energy and therefore, temporary relief.

This is called emotional eating and it can have significant consequences. It can cause weight gain, guilt and shame, depression, and alienation from social supports. Developing an awareness of the relationship between stress (and other emotions) and eating is the first step to healthier behaviours as individuals. It is also the first step to changing the unhealthy associations with food that gets passed down to our children within the family system. Teaching kids to manage emotions without a hamburger or chocolate bar empowers them to make good self-care decisions as teens and adults. 

Here are some tips for a healthier relationship between food and emotions:

·  Delay eating when you feel a craving and take that time to check in with yourself about what you need. Oftentimes you aren’t hungry!

·   Enjoy a sweet or savoury treat when you are not emotionally triggered and take the time to be mindful about each bite.

·  Try talking to a friend, having a cup of tea, taking a hot bath or going on a walk to process emotions and stay connected with yourself and others instead of reaching for a comfort food right away.

·  Start to recognize the difference between real hunger and food distraction. Real hunger occurs gradually throughout the day and is used as fuel for the body. Food distraction is when cravings to eat relate to a desire to self-soothe emotions, to avoid dealing with emotions and are often associated with junk food or comfort foods.