We all know that you must eat, in fact it is truly a part of life. Your body is a machine that is fueled by food. However, there may be times that you will eat more than usual and suffer the repercussions which may include weight gain. One of the many issues associated with food is emotional eating.
An emotional eater may see the end results when looking in the mirror or down on the scale, however it begins in the mind. One of the main culprits of emotional eating is stress. Yes, stress! It can cause many health related issues and one of them is emotional eating. When your defenses are compromised, your health takes a huge hit and so do your emotions.
It is evident that everyone has good days and bad days. Too often the bad days are dealt with avoidance or in this case emotional eating. The emotional eater is seeking comfort and will turn to food for the comfort. The food is a comfort zone and used as a coping mechanism that will not judge, hurt or deny them of their need. The eating process stimulates the release of endorphins much like exercise and the person feels better after eating.
So the emotional eater will turn to food to relieve stress. The emotional eater will hide behind the food because it is not only comforting but it is easier than finding a solution for their stress. This is not uncommon when the stressor is something horrible such as physical abuse or a death.
But, how do you know you are using food in this way? The first sign is obvious. You will gain weight if you eat too much. In light of the weight gain, examine other areas of your life:
■Have you been under stress lately at work or at home?
■Has anything traumatic happened in the last year?
■Are you dealing with a problem but haven’t found a solution?
Get more information here.
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