What is Emotional Eating and How to Control it? All You Need to Know

Do you often run to your kitchen to find comfort in food, whenever you are low or upset? It is a common phenomenon to reach for food in order to suppress negative emotions, which often leads to excess eating. UK-based nutritionist Holly Zoccolan told Daily Mail, “Emotional eating is a response to a feeling rather than that of true hunger.”Also Read – Hair Care Tips: Struggling From Hair Fall? Try These Effective Ayurvedic Remedies Today | Watch

Zoccolan further adds, “Most people are unable to differentiate between physical hunger and emotional hunger and therefore have weight issues.” Also Read – How to do Gomukhasana Video: Benefits, Steps, And Precautions – Watch

The nutritionist recommends starting a food diary where you can write down whenever you are craving sugary foods. Also Read – India Creates A Badminton History By Bagging First Ever Thomas Cup Title After Defeating Indonesia, Health Benefits Of Playing Badminton

“Write down when you are starting to crave sugary foods or reaching for snacks when you aren’t actually hungry.”
She says one should ask themselves a few questions before reaching for the comfort food. ‘Ask yourself, how am I feeling?’, “Write down the answer to this question. Take a moment and deal with the emotion at hand.”

Emotional eating can be triggered by anything. It can be because of work stress, financial woes, health-related issues to struggling to mend ways in a relationship.

Zoccolan suggests that one should avoid keeping trigger foods around them or in the house. They should indulge in healthy snacks if they can’t resist the temptation of eating something.

She says it is important to distract yourself and you can get rid of cravings in 20 minutes. She concludes by saying, “If you find yourself bored, why not treat yourself to a relaxing long hot bath, a face mask, a lit candle or some relaxing music instead of a food treat.”

According to a report in Healthline, emotional eating can affect both men and women. It is caused by a number of factors, including stress, hormonal changes, or mixed hunger cues.

If you also indulge in emotional eating then these tips might help you stay away from it.