Many people turn to food when they're stressed, lonely, sad, anxious, or bored. Small stresses can cause people to look for comfort or distraction in food.
While comfort eating may seem like an effective way to deal with stress, experts believe that it is counteractive and actually impairs your body’s natural ability to recover from stress.
How Comfort Eating Affects Your Health
Talking to the Onlymyhealth team, Sheena Sood, Consultant, Psychology & Counsellor, PD Hinduja Hospital & MRC, Khar, Mumbai said, “Many people turn to unhealthy foods such as chocolate or chips when they are feeling pressure, but researchers have found that this can reduce blood flow to the brain and hurt mental and physical health.”
A study led by researchers from the University of Birmingham and published in Frontiers in Nutrition found that using fatty foods to comfort eat during times of stress can impair the body’s recovery from the stress, research suggests.
Also Read: Trying To Lose Weight? These Natural Appetite Suppressants Will Help You Curb Overeating
Which Foods Are Considered Comfort Food
“Comfort foods are those that trigger the reward system in the human brain which releases dopamine, giving a sense of temporary pleasure,” said Sood.
“High calorie, high salt or sugar foods like ice creams, chips and fries are associated with comfort eating,” she said.
Strategies To Break The Habit of Comfort Eating And Fight Stress Healthily
Giving up the habit of comfort eating may seem more stressful. However, some strategies can ease your transition away from comfort eating. Sood listed:
- Get down to the root causes like stress, anger, depression and other causes. Once you have more information about the emotions, situations, or thoughts that can trigger your comfort eating, you can start to make changes.
- When you walk to the food, pause and ask a simple question: “Am I seriously hungry or am I just eating because I am stressed?”
- Choose foods that fight stress like hot tea which contains helpful antioxidants. Moreover, green tea, matcha tea and white tea contain an amino acid called L-theanine that may help with stress.
- Exercising is a powerful way to manage stress as it also helps to reduce cortisol, the stress hormone.
- Mindfulness has many benefits for mental health. It involves the practice of paying attention to the moment you are currently in.
- Start an emotion diary which includes what was happening, how you were feeling, and any emotions you noticed when you got the sudden urge to eat. Also, include answers to how long you waited before eating when stressed and if you tried anything else to distract yourself.
Comfort eating, while tempting at the moment, can hinder your body's ability to bounce back from stress. By identifying your triggers and implementing healthy coping mechanisms like exercise and mindfulness, you can effectively manage stress and promote overall well-being.
Also Read: Dietician Reveals 5 Simple Diet Swaps That Could Act Like 'Natural' Ozempic
Disclaimer: This article provides information for general awareness and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. If you are struggling with chronic stress or emotional eating, please consult a healthcare provider or registered dietician for personalised guidance.