Did you know that you have a ‘second brain’ in your digestive system? The enteric nervous system has over 100 million nerve cells lining your digestive tract, and 90 percent of serotonin receptors are found in the gut. Our gut can signal emotions too, like nausea we feel when we’re starting a new job or the butterflies that go crazy when our team has a minute left to score.
Since we feel so many emotions in our gut, is it really surprising that so many of us turn to food to cope with overwhelming feelings?
It’s no secret that food can make us feel good. Many foods have a mood-enhancing quality that we associate with comfort and satisfaction, causing us to turn to them when we experience uncomfortable emotions. When eating doesn’t make the feelings go away, we can get stuck in a cycle of emotional eating.
Want to create a healthier relationship with food? These four tips can help you break the cycle and create newer, healthier habits.
1. Focus on your food
When you’re busy it’s easy to fall into the habit of eating while you’re doing something else, like driving or replying to emails. To practice ‘mindful eating’, turn off all distractions and sit down with your meal. Observe the color, textures and smell. Take bites slowly and really consider the flavor. Notice the texture, the taste, and even any memories this food may bring to mind as you chew.
You do not have to eat the whole meal this way, but try to take a few of these mindful bites before finishing your food. Not sure how to start mindful eating? Let Sergio guide you through it.
Take the time to fully appreciate the sensory experience that is our Honey Pork with Bok Choy.
2. Resist shame and guilt
So, you had a rough day and found yourself at the drive-thru window grabbing something to try and take your mind off things. Don’t beat yourself up. Negative feelings can create a perpetual cycle of emotional eating. We feel ashamed because of eating too much, and then eat because we are ashamed.
If you feel that guilt coming on, try to pause and comfort yourself like you would comfort a friend. It might seem counterintuitive, but being kind to ourselves when we eat emotionally can help us to avoid doing it in the future.
3. Snack strategically
Emotional eating happens very quickly: a craving arises and before we have time to think we’ve finished off a whole box of cookies. We also tend to crave specific flavors like salty or sweet. If you feel a strong craving, try to satiate it first with something healthier. Craving fat? Try some peanut butter. Before ripping into a packet of gummy bears, try reaching for an orange. Strategic snacking will also prevent you from becoming ravenous – another trigger for mindless eating.
4. Share and savor
Emotional eating is usually a solitary affair. If you see meals as an opportunity to share and connect with the people you love, you’re less likely to find yourself eating cold Thai leftovers in front of the fridge. Taking the time to schedule weekly meals (like the ones in your Centr Planner), cooking wholesome food together and making food a communal experience can help you to create more positive eating habits.
Breaking emotional eating habits won't happen overnight. But by approaching meals as an opportunity to nourish yourself and your loved ones, rather than a thoughtless reaction to stress, you can begin to reinvent the way you eat.
Leave a comment
This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.