Emotional Eating: Are you using food to comfort yourself?

When Hipprocrates, the Father of Medicine stated, “Let Food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”, you can be certain he was not referring to using food to numb your emotional pain.

Have you ever reached for a block of chocolate after feeling sad or upset? Or, do you constantly eat foods that you know don’t agree with you? Whether they give you digestive discomfort, make you gain weight or make you feel plain awful; do you wonder why you continue to do this? Ask yourself, “Am I eating this as a way to numb the pain?”

Look for the following signs that are linked to emotional eating-

-Eating when you are not hungry

-Eating as a ‘treat’ for yourself

-Eating to make yourself feel ‘better’

-Eating to fill a void in your life

Emotional eating can be defined as eating in a way that suppresses any negative feelings you may be having, which may include feelings such as sadness, loneliness, fear or self-loathing. For some people, it can be a coping mechanism that they have learnt during childhood, or just a general distraction from dealing with their feelings.

If you do engage in emotional eating, do you follow it with feelings of guilt about how ‘bad’ you have been? Scolding yourself is not productive and may make you feel even worse. You may instead like to think about why eating in this way is not helping you. It could be that it makes you gain weight, feel guilty, waste money or makes you bloated. Labelling foods as ‘healthy choices’ and ‘un-healthy choices’ will help you to see the foods for what they are. Rather than calling sweets ‘bad’, think of them as an ’occasional’ choice, and concentrate on healthy food options to fill your body with nutrients and the fuel it needs to function.

Using food to comfort yourself is not only an ineffective way to cope with your feelings; it may lead to health problems down the track. The long-term effects of this habit may include weight gain, nutritional deficiencies (if you are replacing meals with nutrient-devoid foods) or feelings of depression as a result of emotional suppression.

The secret to managing this problem is listening to your body. Only eat when you are hungry, and choose whole foods that are nutrient dense such as fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds. The trace mineral Chromium, as well as B Vitamins and the Ayurvedic herb Gymnema, can help to balance your blood sugar levels and reduce sugar cravings, which may be leading to you making unhealthy food choices.

Once you have identified what triggers your emotional eating, there are many ways for you to express your emotions in a productive way. Journal writing, talking to friends or family, yoga, meditation or any exercise in general are great ways to clear your head and get you

focused on fixing your problems rather than hiding them. Other therapies that may be of use include EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), Acupuncture or counselling, all of which help to release emotional blockages.

A Naturopath can help you to identify triggers for your emotional eating, and to assist you in discovering the reasons behind the feelings you may be having. Having someone to guide and educate you on how to make better food choices can help you to stay on track of your goals. There could be nutrient deficiencies that you may have leading you to crave certain foods, so a personalised dietary plan as well as supplementation if necessary will help to correct any underlying problems.

So the next time troubles come your way, don’t reach for the block of chocolate; call a friend, write in a journal or meditate and let yourself feel the emotions you have been trying to suppress.

Corinne Leach is a Naturopath, having recently completed her Advanced Diploma of Naturopathy, Herbal Medicine and Nutritional Medicine. She received the Outstanding Academic Achievement award for 2011 upon graduation. Corinne advocates a whole food, low fat, plant-based diet for optimum health and the treatment of many health conditions. She is available for consultations in-store in Brisbane, as well as via Skype or email. Please find Corinne on her Facebook page-www.facebook.com/CorinneLeachNaturopath or via email corinne.ann@hotmail.com.