How Do You “Use” Food ?
August 2020 Nutrition Blog
The past 3 months have been challenging for everyone and for most people it has affected your food choices. Both the type of food and the quantity consumed. Stress eating or emotional eating are more common now than ever, so know that you are not alone. Many of us that are working from home have food closer than ever before and we have the freedom to eat whenever we want. You may find yourself looking for a way to “decompress” after a long day and reaching for food or drinks as a reward for a job well done. Many have felt major loss- loss of a job, loss of a loved one, loss of friends that we cannot freely socialize with and we go to food for comfort. What’s the problem with this? It doesn’t work! When we use food as a comfort or as a reward it often leads to discomfort and punishment. Think about that. The discomfort can be physical by overeating or by eating foods that may taste good, but don’t serve our bodies and make us feel lethargic, bloated or even “hung-over”. The discomfort can be emotional promoting a low/depressed mood or anger that we overindulged. The eventual outcome tends to be negative self-talk that is punitive. “What’s wrong with me!?” “How can I have done this again?” “I’m so disgusting!” “I have no self-control!” “I’m so fat!” and of course the list can go on forever, most humans are experts at beating themselves up when they’re not perfect. Let’s keep in mind that perfection is not the goal. However, avoiding using food as comfort or reward is a great way to get started. So let’s all be more mindful. Get in touch with why and what you’re eating. Is there a reason other than physical hunger that you are choosing to eat right now or choosing to eat this? Simply becoming more aware will help you make better choices and one positive change will lead to another. In addition to your actual choices eliminating any negative self-talk will immediately make you feel better as well as keep you focused on your goals. Let’s use food as it is intended for nourishment, energy and ultimately feeling good.