How to Overcome Stress or Emotional Eating  |  Photo Credit: iStock Images
New Delhi: Simply put, the desire to eat food is hunger and it may or may not be coupled with other signs like feeling weak or discomfort. The feeling of hunger if properly managed by optimum and healthy food intake and can serve a clear purpose of keeping the body properly operated. There could be plenty of reasons for this urge of craving for food like the dearth of food, dieting, growth, and performing hefty physical activities. Sight, smell, emotions, and boredom are the significant factors that affect hunger and the decision of eating.
When you stay deprived of food for long, the stomach cells and intestine activate a hormone named ghrelin, which triggers the feelings of hunger. Ghrelin directs indications to your brain that you are hungry. The levels of glucose, amino acids, and fatty acids are extremely little in your body when you feel hungry. Elongated hours of hunger can even diminish your capability of taking decisions. But, your emotions and feelings can also signify hunger especially if you are under chronic stress, leading to binge or mindless eating.
Hunger associated with emotions or feelings is unhealthy behaviour and it can even lead to overeating and various health ailments like obesity, sleep problems, diabetes, and high cholesterol. Always pay heed to the signals of your hunger and always aware of ‘what makes you hungry’ in order to stay happy and healthy.
Emotional hunger is a way to deal with the feelings whereas physical hunger indicates that the body requires proper nutrients and energy. Here’s how you can cope with stress or emotional eating:
Move: It is said that moving can divert your mind and soothe it with tranquillity. Physical exercises can provide you with relief and calm down your mind while lowering down your stress levels and crave to eat. If you feel low, stressed, or upset then you can go for a small walk or jog or incorporate some physical exercises, yoga, or meditation in your routine to quickly solve it.
Share: When you keep everything inside, your craving for food increases which opens doors to overeating and various health ailments. Sharing your thoughts or feelings with others is a great way to calm your mind without getting any unnecessary calories and health complications.
Add in different activities: Fighting the stress and emotions is a great way to avoid stress eating. Instead of consuming foods rich in fats, try to distract your mind from the situation that is causing you stress. You can add various activities like watching a movie, playing games, listening to music, reading books, surfing, and gardening
Eat small portions: Dividing the regular meals into small proportions is a great way to meet the nutritional needs and avoid overeating at the same time.
Avoid distractions: Make sure that during mealtime, you keep the distractions of TV and games at bay. This way you can listen to the hunger cues and can consume the food mindfully. Try not to consume any liquids in between the meal time as it can disturb the hunger.
Stay hydrated: Sometimes, dehydration leads your brain to think that you want to eat. Whenever you feel the need to eat after some time of your meal, fill up and drink a glass full of water. This way you can easily break the false hunger signal. Consume at least 2.5-3 litres of water in a day to keep your mind active
Remember, it is crucial to understand the reason and note the situations when you eat out of boredom or triggered by emotions. This makes you more aware of when you’re unnecessarily eating. One way to engage healthily is by helping yourself find healthy alternatives to snacking like keeping a trail of nuts and seeds handy, opting for whole fruit, or indulging in some recreational activity.
