Not all episodes of eating are driven by hunger. Sometimes it could be our emotions driving us towards food- which are seldom healthy. Hence knowing the difference between the two types of eating is necessary as it could be our answer to everything ranging from weight loss to gut health, immunity, moods, relationship with food, fear, anxiety and so much more.
THE DIFFERENCE-
- In mindful eating,one finds a healthy and balanced meal very satisfying and fulfilling,whereas, in emotional eating,a bag of chips or bar of chocolate sounds more inviting.
- When one mindfully eats, it is easier for the personto stop when they start to feel full,hence portions are controlled. In emotional eaying one cannot identify signs of fullness.
- Mindful eating makes us feel nourished,healthy,satisfied,content,grateful after a meal,whereas emotional eating makes us feel guilty,sad,shameful.in extreme cases,emotional eating could also lead to purguing and other eating disorders.
WHY DO WE EAT EMOTIONALLY?
- When we are under sttress,we start to deplete the feel-good neurotransmitters in our body,like endorphin,serotonin,dopamine,oxytocin.foods laden with sugar,salt,fat-when eaten during stress makes our body release the same chemicals making us feel good.People misinterpret this as ‘comfort food’.the fact ,however,is that exercise,lovemaking,sleep,a hug,meditation releases the same chemicals too,but we often fail to adopt these healthier ways and choose negative behaviours instead.
- Stress simplifies the reward centre of our brain- which is why we feel extremely good when we eat an ice cream on days we feel low.our brain then saves this feeling like a memory and reminds us to reach out for something sugary every time we feel this way.
- Stress cuts off the oxygen supply to our brain,which is why we feel extremely good when we eat an ice-cream on days we feel low..our brain then saves this feeling like a memory andreminds us to reach out for something sugary every time we feel this way.
- With sttress comes lack of sleep ,fatigue,grogginess making it easier for us to reach out for quick fixes like sugar,salt,caffeine and alcohol.
- Chronic stress is also known to cause gut dysbiosis,meaning an imbalance in the good and bad microbes in our gut. More the bad microbes , more our body craves for sugar- as these bad bacteria need sugar as fuel to survive.
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