Excerpts from an article written by Gillian Mandich. MSC. PHD
BRAIN FED
"Devouring sweets when you're stressed goes beyond having a sweet tooth - a lot of it is in your head. How your frame of mind affects everything from the foods you crave to the way you digest them."
"The ancient poet Rumi once said:
The satiated man and the hungry man do not see the same thing when they look upon a loaf of bread."
"Our perception of food veries depending on our relationship with it. but science is now telling us that these relationships can even have an effect on how we're able to metabolize our meals."
"Consider this: A dinner plate with chicken, salad, and rice can be something completely different depending on the person it's presented to. A dieter sees the meal's total calorie content, where as an athlete sees fuel in the form of grams of protein. A vegetarian sees the slaughter of a chicken. A scientist who is studying nutrient content in food sees a collection of chemicals and molecules.
What is remarkable about that dinner plate is that each of those individuals body's will metabolise and react to that same meal in very different ways, based on how each of them relates to it. That is because one of the most essential components of metabolism isn't a vitamin, a chemical, or a molecule; it's the psychological relationship with the food; meaning, how one thinks and feels about what they are about to eat impacts how the body digests it."
First, these relationships begin on a basic emotional level very early in life. "We have a complication relationship with food that began when we were toddlers," says Leo Babauta, author of The Power of Less and one of the worlds leading experts on simplicity and productivity. "The relationship has become more and more complicated through endless amounts of advertising, dieting, of eating when we're sad and lonely and happy and board and at parties and going out and on dates and watching TV and so on." The result? Food is no longer just integral to survival - it is a symbol of comfort, enjoyment, happiness, celebration and prosperity.
But negative experience can also have a profound effect on our relationships with food. Who hasn't reached for a tub of ice cream after a break-up, or zipped into a drive-thru after a bad day? In fact research shows that stressed-out eaters tend to eat sweeter high - fat foods and more energy dense meals than those that are more chilled out.
"The brain is always creating associations," says adjunct professor and member of the American College of Sports Medicine, Mike T. Nelson. "If you eat when you are sad and feel better, you strengthen the association that food makes you feel better. If you eat when you are bored, your brain will suggest food as the solution the next time you are bored."
Your emotional connections with certain foods are largely due to the way your body responds to them on a physiological level. When you eat, your brain releases powerful chemicals such as endorphins (that make you feel good) and dopamine ( which can motivate you to keep munching). For example, decadent treats such as cookies or ice cream release an enormous - even addictive - rush of endorphins, more than when compared to eating something naturally sweet, and potentially healthier, such as fruit. True, both of these foods contain sugar, but the types of sugars affect the body very differently. For example, a large banana has approximately 17 grams of sugar, which is about the same amount as a chocolate-glazed doughnut. Given the choice between the two, many people reach for the doughnut to cure a sweet tooth. Why? The highly processed, refined sugar reaches the bloodstream faster than the naturally occurring sugar fro the banana, which creates a speedier (but shorter lived) endorphin rush than the fruit. That instant spike of feel - good chemicals could be the reason you reach for a second doughnut despite your better judgment, or continue to crave them after the box is empty.
Here's where it gets really interesting. The thoughts you're having while you chomp on that doughnut actually play a role in how you metabolize it. So, if you're feeling guilt or shame about eating the extra calories, you trigger a stress response that can slow digestion and even increase fat storage. The same go's if you're having negative thoughts about a healthy meal ("UGH, chicken and broccoli again?!?!")
Here's how it works: The negative neural signals initiate an inhibitory response in the digestive organs, preventing the body from fully metabolizing the food. This inhibitory response also affects hormones (such as increased insulin and cortisol), which can lower the calorie burning efficiency of our body and cause us to store more of the food as fat.
DON'T DIG YOUR
GRAVE WITH YOUR OWN
KNIFE AND SPOON!
The good new is, finding non-food alternatives for cheering yourself up or passing the time can slowly reverse these psychological associations of eating for comfort. For example, the next time you reach for a 9pm treat, as yourself "Am I really hungry, or am I just bored?" if your desire to nosh is out of boredom and not necessity, try out a new way to refresh your mind. Get up, move around, do some yoga, go for a walk, drink some green tea, go throw the ball around with your kids. Over time you can actually rewire your brain so that food is not the only solution.
And although reaching for edible comfort during stressful times can sometimes feel like the easiest and most convenient solution, Nelson confirms that it is possible to limit this emotional reaction through awareness. "The key is to reduce your impulse to eat while in a poor state or mood," he says. "Start by jounaling what you eat, how it makes you feel, and why. Once you are aware of your habits, you can begin to change them one by one."
HERE ARE A FEW THINGS
TO HELP WITH MINDLESS, STRESSED,
OR EMOTIONAL EATING.
#1 KEEP YOURSELF FULL OF GOOD HEALTHY FOOD- HAVE IT MADE AND READY TO GO AT ALL TIMES!
#2 USE YOUR HEAD: NEXT TIME YOU EAT A MEAL, DON'T JUST GO THROUGH THE MOTIONS, EAT MINDFULLY. STOP WHEN YOU'RE FULL, AND CONTROL CRAVINGS.
#3 SLOW DOWN! EATING IS NOT A RACE, SO TAKE THE TIME TO CHEW FOOD SLOWLY. SAVOR EVERY BITE.
#4 UNPLUG. MAKE MEALTIME A TECH-FREE TIME. TURN OFF ALL ELECTRONIC DEVICES AND DISTRACTIONS BEFORE SITTING DOWN TO EAT.
#5 CONNECT WITH YOUR FOOD. SOUNDS WEIRD, BUT IT MAKES EATING SO MUCH MORE ENJOYABLE. PAY ATTENTION TO THE QUALITY OF FOOD YOU BUY. WHERE DOES IT COME FROM? FRESH? LOCAL? ENJOY THE DIFFERENCE IN TASTE AND QUALITY OF GREAT INGREDIENTS! SOMETIMES THE SIMPLEST RECIPES MADE WITH GOOD QUALITY INGREDIENTS ARE THE BEST!
#6 WHEN YOU JUST CANT SHAKE THAT NEED FOR A TREAT, FILL UP ON VEGGIES FIRST! I ALWAYS KEEP A HUGE BOWL OF STEAMED VEGGIES IN MY FRIDGE. AT NIGHT IF I JUST CAN'T SHAKE THE NEED FOR A SWEET TREAT, (1ST I MAKE IT A CLEAN HEALTHY SWEET TREAT) BUT, I EAT A HUGE BOWL OF STEAMED VEGGIES 1ST, THIS MAKES ME FULL, MAYBE NOT SATISFIED BECAUSE I WANT THAT TREAT, BUT FULL! THEN I SIMPLY HAVE A SERVING SIZE OF MY SWEET TREAT AND NOW I'M FULL AND SATISFIED!
-xoxo
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