While writing this article, I just went through the last
piece of Haldiram’s Soan Papdi at 2:00pm this afternoon, delaying my physical
hunger and deeply satisfying my emotional hunger, the childhood memory of
watching the Soan Papdi cart passing by on lazy Sunday mornings. Back then,
Soan Papdi’s used to be sold on carts lugged by vendors. The sweet used to be
housed in this huge transparent glass globe. And the sweet itself was different
looking than today’s Haldiram Soan Papdi, but what can one do, we just have to
make do with satisfying a childhood memory in today’s modern day packaging.
Food serves many purposes. A bag of potato chips is an ideal
partner while you watch re-runs of CSI.
Chocolate chips cookies and milk are a great combination while you sit
cramming for exams. Nothing€ can separate you from Ben & Jerry’s while you
sit, mending a broken heart. Toffees for
good behavior, and chocolates bars for better behavior. We live in a society
that rewards us with food for a job well done, or to lift our wallowing spirits.
So here we are, feeding two kinds of hunger-physical and emotional.
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| When do you choose ice-cream? |
Even the fittest of fitness freaks and the healthiest of
healthy cannot get away from satisfying a craving once in a while. And why
not? Our society sanctions it and
research clarifies it (when our body needs certain chemicals we will be drawn
to that kind of food). Also, the wrath of a pregnant woman is not pretty, if
you don’t let her indulge in some comfort food every now and then.
So are all kinds of emotional eating ok? Of course not! Here are some things to consider before you
& I take on the next Soan Papdi, or that bag of potato chips.
A lot of studies and a lot of psychological articles online
and off encourage you to ask yourself the following questions:
- ·
Are you hungry for a particular food?
- ·
Did your hunger come on suddenly?
- ·
Have you been eating larger portions than usual?
- ·
Do you eat at unusual times?
- ·
Are you stressed at work, with a relationship or
in any other part of your life?
- ·
Have you had to deal with a life changing event
lately?
- ·
Have you gained a lot of weight in a little time
(or gained too much weight that is unusual to you) because of eating?
If you answered ‘yes’ to these questions then you are emotionally
eating. If you are physically hungry you don’t particularly crave for a certain
kind of food, if it is physical hunger it comes on slowly so that when you are
just lightly hungry you can sense it, if you are eating to satiate physical
hunger then you will know when to stop and physical hunger has a cycle to it.
Most studies suggest that if you ate around 200-500 calories you shouldn’t be
hungry in the next two or three hours.
Comfort food is called precisely that because it brings
comfort. Comfort from some pain, stress, sadness, boredom, and worse still from
depression, poor self-esteem, loneliness, etc. It is also comfort/ reward for a
job well done, for satisfying unmet needs and more.
If you find yourself answering ‘yes’ to the above questions,
more often than not, and if you are also stressed about how much you eat and
how difficult it is to control it then something is up and you need to take
action before it becomes a binge eating disorder or other eating problems. Here
are something’s you can do to stay healthy while eating.
Go on, Eat: If
you are indulging in food one too many times for reasons beyond physical hunger
then take a few moments and consider why that is so. Are you choosing food to
substitute for an emotion that is unbearable? Is it a boss, a parent, your
husband or a whole lot of events that have come together to overwhelm you? If that is so, just make a note of it.
Sometimes, nothing can be done about our stressful events, at least that’s how
it feels, so when you do feel that way, just note your stress, and if you are
eating, continue eating, but mindfully. Savor every piece and morsel of what
you are eating; enjoy the sight, smell and flavor of your food. Enjoy how your
body responds to your food. And once you are done, move along. Try and enjoy
some healthy comfort food do. I often substitute oranges (one of my favorite
fruits) with a savory snack. While binging on anything is not the greatest, at
least binging on something healthy helps a little.
Indulge in healthy self-care: a variety of aspects in our lives can trigger
emotional eating. While recognizing your trigger is the first step, you will
also need to establish self-care routines that become a part of your everyday
life. It could be running on the treadmill or a walk in the park for 30minutes
every day. Investing in 20 minutes every day to eat without any distractions
can go a long way in appreciating food, your body and your life in general.
Think about a healthy/ positive option that can help you relax every day and
make it a part of your life. Studies state that eating relaxes your system by
activating the parasympathetic nervous system that is why we indulge in
emotional eating, however unhealthy in the long run. Break this cycle by partaking in healthy self
care that will in itself activate the parasympathetic nervous system.
Emotions are okay:
Emotions can be overwhelming, especially when we have learnt that emotions are
not okay to express. Checking in with yourself is a great start to
acknowledging that you do feel something regardless of what emotion it is.
Emotions are a natural part of our lives, like breathing or thinking. Take a
few minutes to just invite your overwhelming emotions to sit with you. If emotional
eating has already lead to increasing ill health, poor stamina, poor self-esteem and worse still a binge
eating condition, you will need to get in touch with a counselor and a
nutritionist to help you work on your emotions and food.
So go on and indulge, but be mindful about what you are eating,
enjoy it while staying aware of your emotions as you eat.
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PS: Nithya thanks for the topic! I love to write about mental health and wellbeing, if there is something you want me to write about, ask away!
