HEALTHY FOOD · DECEMBER 2018
SIGNS YOU ARE
EMOTIONALLY
DEPENDENT
C
OMFORT FOOD—a phrase
we're all familiar with. We
remember Mom baking cookies
or Grandma kneading bread
while filling a heavy pot with
her homemade chicken and dumplings. If
something was wrong, a cookie solved the
problem. If you fell off your bike, you were
bandaged and given a piece of candy. For
many of us, that was our reality. Food solved
all our problems. Of course, now that we’re
older, we know that the food didn’t actually
do anything for us. It was a buffer, something
to temporarily make us forget our problems.
Food equaled love. At least that's what we
thought. Then, life dealt us other more
significant blows. A breakup, job loss,
an accident that totaled the car. Food
comforted us through those difficult
moments too. It had nothing to do with
hunger in the physical sense. It was about
feeding us emotionally. Those small treats
lead us down the path of no
return.
Soon, cakes and cookies weren't enough.
We wanted more. How were we going to
get through a divorce or financial ruin? This
is what's known in professional circles as
societal conditioning. It was a proxy for love
or comfort. Food didn't solve the problems,
but it did bring some semblance of joy for a
brief moment.
ON FOOD AND
WHAT TO DO
ABOUT IT
thirsty. We know that saying no is rude, so
we go with it. Of course, we're hungry or
thirsty. It's the polite thing to do. That’s a
pattern that begins when we’re young. How
do we overcome that habit and find
better, healthier outlets?
First, you have to address the underlying
issues. The food is not the problem. The
Emotional eating is an issue many people suffer problem lies with what's going on beyond
that. Is it a self-esteem issue or do you have
from. We may not even be conscious of it. It
becomes a crutch, a bad habit we cling to until a poor body image, or is it something else?
If either of these is the case, look at why and
we learn how to cope in other ways.
speak to a professional about it. There are
Decades ago, and still in many communities, ways to move beyond those feelings. Learn
to become at peace with food. What you
food was scarce. Our parents and
need to do is to reset your relationship with
grandparents may have grown up under
binge-eating or, conversely, fasting.
these conditions. When they had children,
the mantra became "Finish your plate," and
we became members of the Clean Plate Club. Pay attention to cues. If you’re under a lot
of stress, do you reach for a cookie or other
It's what we were taught.
treat? What can you do to stop that habit?
For some that may mean they stop buying
When we visit someone, one of the first
sweets or whatever foods they gravitate to
questions they ask is if we're hungry or
for comfort. Learn how to eat according to
your intrinsic hunger cues. Eat only when
the hunger sensation strikes or try calorie
counting. Find out what's ideal for your
height and weight and what should be
normal for you. After you have those
numbers, create a plan to help stay
within those guidelines.
Become familiar with your eating
triggers. If you have
to, keep a calendar
or diary of what you
eat and when. That
will go a long way to
helping you overcome
this bad habit.
By Ava Mallory
38 HEALTHY MAGAZINE