Signs That You're An Emotional Eater
The link between your health and diet is undeniable. If you eat healthier food, your body will feel healthier. This connection is easy to make, but there is one connection between food and health that isn’t as easy to see: why are you eating? It’s easy to answer as you’re eating because you’re hungry, but are you really? There is an important connection between why you are eating and the state of your emotional health. Emotional eating is tied not to how food makes your stomach feel, but how it makes your heart feel. This type of eating can very quickly spiral out of control, so it’s important to keep an eye out for signs of emotional eating.
You Eat When You’re Stressed
Is your boss on your case to finish up the project not just on time, but early? Are the kids riding your last nerve like the latest hit roller coaster at the amusement park? It is very easy to turn towards food for comfort in these stressful times. Food is an easy coping mechanism, as it triggers pleasure centers in the brain. This cycle feeds the cycle of emotional eating. The next time you feel stressed, you don’t feel the guilt of turning to alcohol or worse. It’s just food, after all. Unfortunately, the types and amount of food that satisfy this need often are unhealthy for you in the long term. If you eat when you’re stressed, especially on a regular basis, you are acting as an emotional eater.
You Find Comfort In Food
As noted before, food can be a very satisfying coping strategy. If you find comfort in food, you’re not alone. There is a reason there is a whole category of food referred to as 'comfort food.' However, this is one time when you don’t find safety in numbers. Being one of many individuals who indulge in an unhealthy coping mechanism is still unhealthy, it just means you’re likely to have company while you’re doing so. Take a close look at your reaction to food: if you likely feel not only physically, but also emotionally sated after a good meal, it could be a sign you are an emotional eater.
