Mindful Comfort Eating Strategies
There is A LOT of stress going around right now. You may be directly affected by our pandemic or you may not, but either way, you have added some stress to your life. If you are anything like me, you are finding that you are suddenly craving more carbohydrate-rich foods, comfort foods that bring you back to your childhood, or just straight-up sugar.
Do not feel bad about this. This is a completely natural and human response. As it turns out, our bodies are hardwired to combat stress with food. In times of stress, our bodies require energy, lots of energy to feed the hormones that cause anxious feelings. We crave high-sugar foods because they are highly palatable (i.e. they taste good!) and provide our bodies with the quick energy it is craving.
While these foods do give us a sense of calm in the short term, in the long term you are not doing your body any favors. When we overconsume refined sugar, we are continuously raising our blood sugar which requires the continued release of the hormone insulin to lower the blood sugar back to homeostasis which is taxing to our pancreas. When we eat too much-refined sugar and processed foods our pancreas can often overproduce insulin leading to low blood sugar or hypoglycemia and the roller coaster starts all over again as we eat more sugar to make ourselves feel better.
While I am not necessarily suggesting that we give up all of the treats that are making us feel good right now, I am suggesting that you listen to your body, notice how you feel AFTER eating so many of these foods, and consider some strategies that can help you to be more mindful of what you are doing to combat the stress you are feeling.
Here are my tips for mindful snacking:
Slow down, and consciously choose a snack. Recognize if it is a snack that just tastes yummy and/or if it is a snack that will nourish you and satiate you. Remind yourself that it’s ok to have a snack when you are hungry.
Pay attention to your hunger level. Think about the questions: Will this meet my needs? Will it take the edge off my hunger or cravings?
Make sure that when you eat, you have as few distractions as possible. Sit at a table and eat slowly, chewing well. Keep distractions such as your phone or the TV off or away from you. Food is meant to be enjoyed so enjoy the process!
Ask yourself if you are being kind to your body right now. Pay attention to how you feel. Is it time to stop or do you need more?
If you need more, that is OK. If you are ready to move on to another activity that can also help with stress relief, here are some ideas, but remember there are many more options:
Lean into your feelings, and let them wash over you.
Distract yourself with a mindful activity. Do a project, watch a movie but make sure it is without distraction from phone or anything else
Call, FaceTime, or chat with a friend/family member
Move/exercise. Go on a walk or bike ride, or find an exercise or yoga class online.
Play with your pet
Take a bath (Epsom salts or essential oils can be nice additions)
Write about how you feel in a journal
Change up your surroundings, just do something different
Be gentle with yourself and give yourself grace during this stressful time.