Food for Thought: You can't feed me love

Have you ever heard the saying “eating your feelings”? This is a phrase most of us are familiar with whether we like it or not. Negative emotions can often cause a person to seek comfort by eating delicious and rich foods, binge drinking or oversleeping. All of these things are forms of over-indulgence. While it is not a problem to indulge once in a while, it is a problem to repeatedly use these comforts as a band-aid to distract yourself from a deeper problem or emotional low.

I personally am guilty of using food to heal a broken heart, cure boredom or cushion a difficult day at work. Food can evoke such strong emotion on its own that it is easy to make yourself feel good with a bite or two of something you crave. The sense of smell can play a huge part in this emotional reaction to food, as smell is the strongest sense that is linked to memory. Since smell and taste are so closely related and work together in the grand experience we have with food (along with texture), we are immediately drawn to foods in times of emotional need that will remind us of a time and place when we were feeling happy.

The unfortunate thing about this sensory remedy is the foods that tend to make us feel good psychologically are usually high in fats and calories. Plus, the negative state of feeling promotes a state of sedentary being, which makes a perfect combination to eventually gain some weight.

Ice cream, pizza, breads, pastries, chocolate and potato chips are among the culprits to tempt us with flavour, aroma and texture when we're feeling blue. All of these items are jam-packed with carbohydrates that will increase the serotonin level in our bodies, making us feel better and happier.

Some people claim that they feel less hungry and actually lose weight when they are depressed or sad. This can also pose a problem due to the unstable way the weight was lost. Simply not eating is just as dangerous or more than binge eating.

Another common observation is that people start to put on the pounds when they reach a comfortable spot in their relationship. This can happen because the individuals involved become less active as their lives become busier with each other. Also, couples are far more likely to eat out, which usually entails eating bigger portion sizes and less healthy foods. Eating may become an activity that the couple likes to share together, which encourages more meals more often.

A healthier way to raise serotonin, spend an afternoon with your lover or cure boredom is to just get active. If you feel the need to eat as an emotional comfort, try to mentally associate healthy foods with happy feelings. Berries and melon are sweet and rich in flavour, and frozen yogurt can take the place of the usual “break up” food, ice cream. Once you are feeling better, your body will too.