When we experience overwhelming emotions, it`s natural to use things outside ourselves to help us deal. These coping mechanisms can be constructive, like exercise or journalling, or destructive, like drinking and narcotics. For some sufferers, food is the outlet they use when feeling upset. Emotional eating is a way to suppress upsetting emotions for many sufferers.
For some folks, emotional eating simply means partaking in a little ice cream after a bad day at work. For lots, however, this is a dangerous coping mechanism that can lead to weight problems and health troubles. Many comfort foods are full of calories, sugar, and sodium, which all can cause health issues when devoured in large quantities.
There are many things that can lead to emotional eating. Major life happenings, or even day to day annoyances can lead emotional eaters to the refrigerator. For others, eating can also be a means of relief from boredom. There is a chemical explanation to emotional eating additionally. Many popular comfort foods discharge chemicals or hormones that elevate your disposition, so they are chemically as well as psychologically soothing.
Emotional eating is a difficult habit to quit. However, there are several things you can do to help quit this dangerous habit. It`s vital to learn how to tell the difference between true hunger and an emotionally motivated urge to chow down. If you know that you aren`t really hungry, give it some time to see if the urge disappears. Emotional hunger differ(s) from physical hunger in several manners. It comes on quickly, while true hunger is gradual. Physical hunger is a universal sensation of emptiness, while emotional hunger will cause you to crave something specific. Emotional eating is also more likely to cause feelings of shame afterwards.
Don`t keep unhealthy foods in your home, because it`s much less difficult to resist those impulses when temptation isn`t easy to access. Attempt to swap unhealthy comfort foods with healthier alternatives. Make a inventory of things you can do to sidetrack yourself when emotional eating hits, such as go for a run, take a short nap, or read a book. Finally, using the help of a counselor to address the psychological reasons for emotional eating can be very helpful.
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