Do you also find yourself going to the fridge every minute to check what else is there to eat?
This phenomenon is often called emotional eating • This is how you will overcome it
Emotional Eating
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It happens to all of us, especially in moments of crisis where sadness and longing fill the heart.
We find ourselves looking for what to eat in the fridge or we eliminate the snack drawer.
Everyone knows this moment where you say to yourself in your heart, "I deserve it, I had a hard day," and then you try to fill your heart with lots of carbs and sweets in the hope that it will make you happy, encouraged, or solve the problem.
Of course this does not solve the problem, and in most cases only increases the pain.
The corona crisis raises the bar of emotional eating for all of us, children and adults alike.
The uncertainty about the continuation of the crisis and its consequences, the closure that befalls us to stay home with the children and the lack of fun activities that will charge us a bit.
Eating that aims not to satisfy hunger, but to compensate for negative emotions for momentary comfort, is called emotional eating.
In cases where emotional eating is not treated properly it can develop into an eating disorder. So what do you do?
Here are some practical tools that will help us regulate the experience of stress and the emotional eating that accompanies it.
Proper and balanced nutrition
There is a strong link between nutrition and stress.
Stressful situations cause imbalance and weakness of the body.
Therefore, a healthy and balanced diet is especially important in these situations.
Proper nutrition supports the proper functioning of the body systems, including the immune system and nervous system and improves the absorption of essential substances like vitamins and minerals.
It is important that you include whole grains and legumes in your menu - an excellent source of dietary fiber that contributes to a feeling of satiety as they also gradually raise blood sugar levels.
They are full of minerals and B vitamins, which help the body cope with stressful situations and produce serotonin produced in the brain.
Add to your menu oats, buckwheat, whole rice, pearl barley, lentils and chickpeas, as well as foods rich in vitamin C and antioxidants that help us deal with free radical damage in stressful situations.
Add kiwi, red pepper, berries, pineapple, orange and grapes to your menu.
Foods that encourage the production of serotonin
, a hormone responsible for regulating our mood.
It is important to consume a menu rich in tryptophan and it can be found in almonds, nuts, banana, kiwi and mango.
It is also advisable to consume foods rich in folic acid like green leaves and spinach.
Protein-rich foods:
In stressful situations the body secretes a high level of cortisol which causes an accelerated breakdown of protein which can cause a deficiency of it.
It is therefore important to consume a sufficient amount of protein, when full plant or animal protein can be obtained.
Animal foods: fish, eggs, meat and chicken.
Plant foods: Soybeans, grains combined with legumes and soy.
You can consume
soothing
tea infusions
like chamomile, melissa, cinnamon, mint, louise and sage instead of looking for something else to snack on.
medical herbs
There is a whole world of herbs that can support you in challenging situations.
Adaptogenic plants are medicinal plants whose function is to increase the body's resilience and resilience in situations of environmental or emotional stress.
They help balance the body systems, including the nervous system and the immune system.
These plants contain ingredients that reduce the secretion of stress hormones such as cortisol.
You should contact a qualified therapist who will recommend the right type of treatment for you.
Make room for emotions:
Hard feelings are part of our fan of emotions, and we need to give them space and not shy away from them.
If they are not given space they will manifest in other forms like emotional eating.
Before you eat ask yourself how you feel and if you are really hungry, you will know the real answer.
The author is a naturopath and fitness trainer