Did you know that stress, anxiety, sadness and other emotions, when out of control, can turn you into an Emotional Eater? If you have trouble losing weight and you don't know why, but every time you feel stressed, lonely, angry or bored, you go for food, it means that you have a toxic emotional relationship with food. The good thing is that it is always possible to put a stop to it and start a healthy bond. And that's why we are here.(1)(2)
Emotional hunger and its consequences
Don't feel bad if you think you're an Emotional Eater. Since we are babies we are taught to satisfy our needs that way, with food. The first reaction of many adults to a child having a tantrum is to quickly hand him a candy, chocolate or ice cream to calm him down. It is easy to get used to this emotional blackmail that finds its temporary reward in food, especially unhealthy food: desserts, fast food, cakes and chips.
We look for candy or junk food as a way to distract ourselves from what bothers us or worries us; It is a way to calm ourselves, reward ourselves, or satisfy our emotional needs. But this doesn't work. First, because we do not treat the true cause or root of our problems and also, since we are not choosing nutritious foods, we add calories, sodium, sugar and fats that we do not need and that only accelerate weight gain, abdominal fat and related diseases. .(1)
Stress: a terrible advisor
Stress is another trigger for emotional eating. When it becomes chronic, cortisol, the main stress hormone, causes sugar in the bloodstream to rise. What is not used accumulates around our abdomen, contributing to weight and developing other problems such as diabetes.
Stress also releases dopamine in our brain, which makes us crave sweet foods and alters our mood. This works like a vicious circle. That is why it is so important to stop it in time. (3)
Tools to break the emotional cycle
- The first step to overcoming emotional eating is to be aware of this problem and, if necessary, seek professional help. We must observe ourselves and recognize how many times a day we eat without hunger. A good idea is to keep a record in a diary or on our phone. There we can write down the mood we have when the impulse to eat occurs. Analyzing this information gives us a clearer idea of the emotions that invade us when the urge for food arises and we can begin to take steps to control them.
- To achieve this more easily, the nutritionist at Entalla Sabrina Hernández-Cano has created the plan GO AHEAD 28 daysías: Overcome Emotional Hunger. This uses the principles of Modelo of Cchange Behavior, a guide designed by professionals, which allows us to modify our behaviors in the long term. In this way we can learn to recognize our emotional states, eliminating the search for food as a reflex act. In the plan you will find simple ideas and practical tips to replace and avoid those cravings, as well as to improve your mood.
- Another recommendation is to eat according to the dparty of bgarlic YOindex glucandmonkey, included in the DALE plan, since eating foods low in sugar and high in omega 3 fatty acids helps reduce cortisol and reduces stress. Once we improve our diet, so does our mood and our lifestyle, helping us lose weight.
Tip: When you download the plan, look for the relaxing recipe, and prepare it! You'll love it.
Dare to start a real change and a better relationship with food! Evidence shows time and time again that by taking the right lifestyle steps, adding physical activity, gaining control of our eating behavior, learning to eat mindfully, reducing our stress and regulating emotions, we can improve our health, decrease our weight and raise our self-esteem. Take the risk and experience the difference. We are with you!
Your team Santo Remedio
References
1.Alejandra Betancourt-Núñez 1 2 3 , Nathaly Torres-Castillo 1 3 4 , Erika Martínez-López 1 3 4 , César O De Loera-Rodríguez 5 , Elvira Durán-Barajas 6 , Fabiola Márquez-Sandoval 1 3 7 , María Fernanda Bernal-Orozco 1 3 7 , Marta Garaulet 8 9 10 11 , Barbara Vizmanos 1 2 3 7Emotional Eating and Dietary Patterns: Reflecting Food Choices in People with and without Abdominal Obesity Patients. 2022 Mar 25;14(7):1371. doi:10.3390/nu14071371. PMID: 35405983 PMCID: PMC9002960 DOI: 10.3390/nu14071371 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35405983/
2.Mallory Frayn, Simone Livshits, and Bärbel Knäuper. Emotional eating and weight regulation: a qualitative study of compensatory behaviors and concerns.J Eat Disord. 2018; 6: 23.Published online 2018 Sep 14. doi:10.1186/s40337-018-0210-6 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6137864/
3.S D Hewagalamulage 1 , T K Lee 1 , I J Clarke 1 , B A Henry 2 Stress, cortisol, and obesity: a role for cortisol responsiveness in identifying individuals prone to obesity. ReviewDomest Anim Endocrinol. 2016 Jul;56 Suppl:S112-20. doi: 10.1016/j.domaniend.2016.03.004. Epub 2016 Mar 31.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27345309/
