Certain psychological situation (anxiety, fatigue, negative thoughts, anger, stress, melancholy) may urge us to find comfort in certain food; usually something sweet or high in carbohydrates (spaghetti, bread); tasty choices which give pleasure and plenty of energy. On the other hand, these foods in large quantities have a negative impact on our health, being apparent in our weight gain.
This behavior leads to a vicious cycle where we eat to feel better and subsequently feel bad for gaining weight and harming our health.
Our dietary choices are related to two types of hunger; The first is biological hunger, which refers to the state in which you consume food to maintain body needs. The second is emotional hunger. In this case, the person eats large quantities of unhealthy, bad quality food such as sweets and continuous to do so even after he is full, when depressed or anxious. Food becomes a satisfying pleasure. People may even refer to food as their only pleasure, thus, meaning that they use food to fill their voids in other areas.
However, we should note that people also tend to make unhealthy food choices when they are happy as well; for example, in traditional feasts where they gather around the table with family and friends.
This is due to the fact that our brain has been taught since infancy to associate the feeling of happiness with something sweet; when we did something good we were rewarder with chocolate, in our birthday our parents baked us cake -they didn’t give us fruit, when we paid visits we offered the hostess a box of sweets, etc. Thus, our body has associated happiness with something sweet, and that’s what it asks for when we are unhappy. In addition, traditional feasts have been imprinted in our memory as rich tables who do not however offer fruit, fish or cereals, but, pies, sweets, meat in red sauce etc. Thus, again, we have associated joy with such food.
What could be done?
- When we want to reward children for an achievement, we should offer them something healthy -such as a fruit. In that way, their brain will learn to associate joy with fruit and that’s what it will seek in the future, in place of sweets.
- Before we open the cupboard or the refrigerator, we should pause and consider if our body truly requires food or if we are just looking to fill an emotional void that we cannot externalize in some other way. If we realize that we are about to eat not due to physical hunger, but due to emotional hunger, it would be preferable to occupy ourselves with one of our favorite hobbies.
Consume healthy meals and food that positively affects our mood. Omega 3 fatty acids stabilize mood and fight mood swings because they increase serotonin production. Fatty fish (such as salmon, sardines, fresh anchovies and mackerel), linseed, walnuts etc. contain Omega 3 fatty acids.