The Connection Between Food And Emotional Eating

We often view emotional eating as a negative, however, it may come as a surprise to you that emotional eating is actually pretty normal. We are emotional beings. Food is much more than food. Food provides us with connection, memories, social events, culture and pleasure. How many of those listed above are emotionless and how bad does emotionless eating sound?!

But really, you have a had bad day at work, and a bowl of ice cream sounds amazing. Passing time during quarantine during a global pandemic? Make a family recipe that reminds you of home. Stressed about buying a house? Pick up your favorite take out and enjoy on a park picnic table. All of these are examples of emotional eating, and they are ALL okay!

I lost my sister almost three years ago, and every year on the anniversary of her death, I cope with my emotions through food. I plan the whole day around food, actually. I grab a doughnut, since we used to have doughnuts almost every day growing up when my mom drove us 30 minutes to school. I will have Mexican with lunch, specifically, chicken, cheese, and rice as that was her favorite! For dinner, I will have Drake’s crab rangoon sushi roll as I think she got that almost EVERY time we went to Malones, Drake’s or Harry’s. I love how those foods keep her and her memory alive. It brings me a sense of comfort. I don’t solely use food to cope on that specific day. In addition to planning my meals, I will spend time out in nature as that helps bring me peace. I will treat myself to a manicure or pedicure just as she always did. I continue with my therapy sessions as usual to help talk about my emotions, thoughts, and feelings. I also make sure to spend time with my family and friends for support.

Now, if I didn’t have other coping mechanisms on deck, that could be a problem and that is when emotional eating can cause some issues. Emotional eating is a problem when it is your only coping mechanism or you feel a sense of guilt after indulging in food as your coping mechanism. 

There are good and bad ways to cope with your emotions. There are positive ways such as self-care, journaling, physical activity, spending time with loved ones, being in nature, and eating. On the other hand, there are negative ways as well, such as drugs, alcohol, and eating. Yes, eating is in both categories, because as I mentioned above, it is normal for humans to eat with emotions. If not, we would be so robotic! The problem, as I have said, is when that is your ONLY coping tool. Food can be a distraction. It can take away the pleasure and satisfaction that food should provide.

So, if you find yourself coping with your emotions with food. What can you do to find other coping outlets?

Check in with yourself. Are you meeting your needs? Are you taking care of yourself? Are you getting enough sleep? Are you super stressed? Are you creating time for friends and family? Do you have time in the day to spend on yourself? Depending on how you answer these questions, may help guide you on where to spend some extra time. 

Seek support. You are not alone in this struggle. The best thing I did for myself was find a therapist that I clicked with. Don’t be afraid to ask for support from a support group, licensed therapist, or dietitian. 

Keep a gratitude journal. Write down 5 things you are grateful for either in the morning or before bed. There have been studies that show how beneficial practicing gratitude can be for our health. Try it out!

Remember emotional eating isn’t always bad. If you are finding that you are struggling with emotional eating, I encourage you to work with a therapist or dietitian in helping find coping mechanisms.