When digging into the connection between body and mind, many people consider the impact of their mental health on the way they eat. The first culprit is often “emotional eating”, which is loosely defined as eating for reasons other than to satisfy hunger, and is often demonized in our society more than it should be. Emotional eating can range from snacking out of boredom, to occasionally using food to distract from strong emotions, to using more extreme disordered eating behaviors to avoid or cope with very strong emotions.
Sometimes, our diet-focused culture blows emotional eating out of proportion – eating for reasons other than hunger is a natural part of being a human. We celebrate, gather, and explore with food. Food brings us joy, and shouldn’t be restricted. It’s also OK for food to be one tool in your toolbox for dealing with emotions. Some ice cream when you are sad or an occasional snack when you’re bored really is not a huge problem in the grand scheme of your holistic health, and can be a normal part of balanced eating. Issues arise when emotional eating becomes your only coping skill; food provides temporary comfort and may numb some feelings, but it won’t help you process your thoughts or confront your problems. It’s important to meet with your therapist and registered dietitian to assess your relationship with food and see if there’s room for more balance.
Improving mental health through counseling is a vital part of tackling the root cause of “emotional eating” (if it actually is an issue) and moving towards more balanced nutrition, but this relationship isn’t just a one-way street. In fact, it’s a little more of a cycle.
Research shows that consistent nourishment throughout the day is vital to helping you stabilize your mood. “Hanger” is a real thing! It all has to do with your blood sugar, even if you don’t have diabetes. Our bodies convert the food we eat into glucose, which is transported in our blood for our cells to use as energy. When there’s no fuel, our blood sugar drops. One symptom of blood glucose dropping is a change in mood such as crankiness or quick-temperedness, an increase in anxiety, lack of focus, and fatigue.
Every individual’s needs will vary slightly, but in general, an even balance of carbohydrates, protein, fat and fiber eaten at meals and snacks throughout the day can help stabilize your mood. It’s important to listen to your body and eat when you are hungry – responding to the biological signal of hunger will help you build body trust, pause to make balanced choices, and keep your mood up as well.
Fueling your body with consistent nourishment throughout the day will provide positive feedback to your mental health, and working on your mental health can likewise help you find balance in your nutrition. There are so many factors that influence your holistic health overall, but with a combination of mental health and nutrition counseling, you can start to slowly implement a simple self-care routine to improve both your mental and physical health.
Curious about what balanced eating would look like for you? Schedule a nutrition appointment today!
