5 keys to improve your relationship with food
Hello Vibers! Today we want to discuss a fundamental topic: your relationship with food. We’ll share five key insights that can make a difference and improve how we relate to what we eat.
In life, we maintain various types of relationships—some are constant, others temporary—but one that always endures is our relationship with food. Therefore, just as we strive to nurture our personal relationships, it’s crucial to attend to and maintain our connection with food in optimal condition.
Emotional hunger and physical hunger
Before diving into key tips to strengthen our relationship with food, it is crucial to understand the main types of hunger that influence our eating behavior: emotional hunger and physical hunger.
Physical hunger arises from a physiological need and responds to the need for energy, manifesting through signs such as an empty stomach, salivation, and stomach noises. On the other hand, emotional hunger is a response to various emotions such as stress, anxiety, nervousness, or joy. This type of hunger is characterized by a desire to eat specific foods instantly (cravings) followed by a feeling of guilt after consumption. In other words, it is a way to channel different emotions through food intake.
Various studies reveal that in our daily routines, it is common to eat automatically, often guided by the time (emotional hunger) rather than by actual hunger signals (physical hunger). This behavior is closely linked to impulsivity, which is prevalent in our fast-paced lifestyle. Constant stress and the saturation of stimuli in our daily lives lead us to act impulsively, even in everyday activities like eating. This lack of awareness can result in behaviors such as binge eating, large portions, and difficulty recalling what has been eaten. Studies have associated this impulsivity with issues like overweight and obesity.
Now that you understand the two types of hunger, can you differentiate between them? Next, we will discuss five key tips for improving your relationship with food:
1. Mindful eating
Mindful eating is key to improving our relationship with food. Sitting down at a table, chewing thoroughly, and savoring each bite while avoiding distractions such as phones or screens contributes to a healthier relationship with food. Studies show that mindfulness can prevent binge eating and improve our relationship with food. Conversely, a lack of attention during meals is associated with behaviors such as emotional eating and increased consumption of poor-quality fats and sugars.
Taking the time to sit down and eat more mindfully will help us attend to our body’s physiological needs and enhance the pleasure derived from eating.
2. Do not ban foods
In the pursuit of healthy eating behavior, it is essential to abandon the restrictive mindset that bans certain foods. Banning foods can become a double-edged sword when trying to maintain healthy eating habits. Alongside the restriction, a strong desire to consume those foods emerges, often leading to overeating or binge eating in secret. This creates a negative association, which in turn generates emotional conflict around eating. Therefore, it is necessary to move away from concepts such as “allowed food” and “forbidden food.”
Removing bans allows for a more balanced relationship with food. It is not only about permitting ourselves to enjoy a variety of foods but also about recognizing that moderation is key to avoiding excesses and maintaining a healthy connection with food.
3. After an overindulgence, avoid restriction
After a large meal, it’s common to experience feelings of guilt and the sensation of having overeaten, especially at social events. The typical reaction to this scenario is to seek compensation, whether by skipping meals or drastically reducing intake. However, this tendency to compensate for overindulgence can lead to a harmful cycle of extreme restrictions followed by binge eating, negatively impacting our health and well-being.
The key to overcoming these large meals is to return to regular eating habits, maintaining moderation and variety, and thus avoiding restrictions that could trigger future overindulgence.
4. Making gradual and short-term changes
The key to successful habit change lies in gradual and consistent progression. Immediate success cannot be expected when trying to transform behaviors overnight.
Consider someone who is used to consuming sugary yogurts or adding two tablespoons of sugar to their food. Suddenly eliminating sugar can be overwhelming and unappealing. A more effective strategy would be to gradually reduce the amount of added sugar, allowing our taste buds to adjust progressively and making the transition to a less sweet taste easier.
Setting short-term goals, despite having an ultimate objective, is essential. This approach allows us to assess progress, maintain motivation, and persist on the path toward healthier eating habits.
5. Ensuring proper rest
Several studies link sleep quality to emotional eating. Research suggests that a lack of sleep can interfere with emotional regulation and contribute to irregular eating patterns. Additionally, individuals with shorter sleep durations and higher emotional eating tendencies may be particularly prone to weight gain, which is directly associated with an increased risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes.
These findings underscore the importance of prioritizing rest to maintain emotional balance and promote healthy eating habits, reinforcing the recommendation from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and the Sleep Research Society to aim for at least 7 hours of sleep per night.
In conclusion, achieving lasting changes requires a gradual process that allows for adaptation and the maintenance of new habits. Remember, the key to improving our relationship with food lies in consistency and patience. These five keys will assist you on your journey toward a healthier and more mindful connection with food.
Blood glucose control and relationship with food
Within nutritional strategies to enhance our relationship with food, glucose monitoring emerges as a key tool. It not only helps us understand how our body functions and how our lifestyle impacts our metabolism but also allows us to observe how emotional hunger affects us. By closely tracking glucose levels, we gain valuable insights that enable us to make informed decisions about our diet, contributing to a more balanced and healthy approach to eating.
Ready to give a positive twist to your relationship with food? Share your experiences with us!
References
- [1] Czepczor-Bernat, K., Brytek-Matera, A., Gramaglia, C., & Zeppegno, P. (2020). The moderating effects of mindful eating on the relationship between emotional functioning and eating styles in overweight and obese women. Eating and weight disorders : EWD, 25(4), 841–849. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-019-00740-6
- [2] Annameier, S. K., Kelly, N. R., Courville, A. B., Tanofsky-Kraff, M., Yanovski, J. A., & Shomaker, L. B. (2018). Mindfulness and laboratory eating behavior in adolescent girls at risk for type 2 diabetes. Appetite, 125, 48–56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2018.01.030
- [3] Lin, J., Chadi, N., & Shrier, L. (2019). Mindfulness-based interventions for adolescent health. Current opinion in pediatrics, 31(4), 469–475. https://doi.org/10.1097/MOP.0000000000000760
- [4] Konttinen H. (2020). Emotional eating and obesity in adults: the role of depression, sleep and genes. The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 79(3), 283–289. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0029665120000166