Who’s the boss? Food or your emotions.

Your relationship with food can be influenced by your mood or emotions.

The reason why eating feels so good and comforting is that nutrients in our food can induce the body to naturally produce ‘endorphins’.

Endorphins can trigger a positive feeling in the body. It’s one of the body’s feel good hormones.

This is how eating can quickly become an emotional thing. Especially in times when one feels negative emotions.

The feeling of hunger can also be emotional or physical. Physical hunger is gradual and tied to the last time you ate. While emotional hunger is triggered by things such as stress, worry or fatigue.

Most times emotional hunger is your body’s way of telling you that you need some comfort or soothing. 

When you find yourself having frequent cravings, this might also point to emotional hunger.

Absent mindedness or distractions can also be a pointer to emotional hunger, you would usually satisfy this by nibbling while doing some activity just to keep busy.

Emotional eating?

Remember that time when you ate lots of eggs because you wanted to add some flesh (maybe in a certain area🌚).

Maybe that time when you skipped meals so you can lose some belly fat.

The times when you chose not to care about your diet because you were sad and needed comfort😢. 

Or when you consumed junk food like there’s no tomorrow, because you only live once right?🤷. Might as well enjoy it.

There are so many instances of when we’ve turned to food for one reason or the other.

I mean, food is bae right? Food never breaks your heart.

What we love might not hurt us, but the power we give to it might.

This is where you need to understand your body and its hunger cues. Pay attention to your hunger patterns. It is best to satiate your hunger before it takes over and makes you start binging on just anything you can find.

The statement you’re what you eat can’t be any truer.

Making healthier food choices become easier as you become familiar with your physical hunger patterns and emotional hunger triggers.

You can turn your emotional eating into a strength by being the boss of your cravings and not the other way round.

Have an healthy relationship with food and be the boss in that relationship.

Reasons why we eat the way we do.

‘I can’t control it, no matter how I try. I feel so insecure about my body.’

‘If I don’t eat eggs, avocado, beans my butt won’t grow’

Emotions, when negative affect our mood and sometimes our perceptions about ourselves.

And to satisfy the resulting emotional hunger, the body might start to crave food high in sugar, salt or fried foods.

It’s not your fault though, we all need some loving.

Can you see why sweet, salty and fried foods are what you consume most when binge  eating? It’s a chain reaction.

It isn’t just about your love for food, although let’s be realistic, who doesn’t love food? We all do.

How do you ensure emotions don’t dictate the food you eat?

Care to know about what you’re taking in and the purpose it serves.

Treat your body like a prized possession. Eat nutrients rich foods that fill you up for much longer.

Make conscious efforts to choose healthy foods over unhealthy ones. 

Don’t lie to yourself.

Avoid getting to hungry before you eat

Don’t be too restrictive in your diet. Eg, eating only carbohydrates with no fruits or vegetables.

You’ll have to love yourself first to do this. I believe nobody can make your body type look as good as you do. You’re unique in your own special way😉

Choose healthier alternatives to your favourite foods. Stock up on healthy snacks for binging episodes.

Consciously make your favorite foods the healthy ones.

PS: For weight loss and gain goals, you might have to see a dietician. You can also include home workouts into your routine (there are many apps for this) and  this will need your discipline.

Also, learn to appreciate yourself from time to time. It’s not easy to change old habits and it might take a while.

Don’t pressure yourself, breathe, eat well and have a good relationship with food.

Love and light ❤️

---

---

Edited by: Busayo