10 Tips to Help Curb Emotional Eating

When we are stressed, anxious, angry, sad, depressed or an array of other emotions, food can be a source of comfort. Just like many drugs, food provides us with a rush of the “happy hormone” dopamine, which can help us to feel better temporarily. Unfortunately, this comfort is usually very short-lived and does little to address the underlying cause. It also perpetuates more emotional eating and creates a vicious cycle that can lead to guilt, shame, and an unhealthy relationship with food.

Sound familiar? You are not alone! Fortunately, there are several relatively simple strategies that can be beneficial to help break this cycle and improve your relationship with food.

1. Establish a pattern of regular eating

When we skip meals, it can have a direct impact on cravings, hunger and how we deal with tough emotions. For example, those who skip or eat something very minimal for lunch are more likely to binge on less healthy foods later in the day. Ensuring you are eating regularly (at least every 4-5 hours during the day) and enough can help to reduce physical hunger, provide nutrients and energy to better manage stress, and offset the tendency to binge.

2. Distinguish between physical hunger and emotional hunger

Before eating anything, tune into your body and your emotions and determine whether you are truly hungry, or if you are feeding emotions. If it is physical hunger, consider what you could eat to provide your body with the nutrients it needs. If it is emotional hunger, consider what else you could do to manage. Physical hunger usually develops slowly, pertains to a wide range of foods, goes away with a sensation of fullness, and does not typically result in negative feelings or guilt. Emotional hunger, on the other hand, usually comes on relatively quickly, is specific to certain foods, and can result in feelings of guilt and shame.

3. Avoid boredom

It is no secret that food (generally unhealthy food) is what many people turn to when they are bored. If you are bored often, chances are you are also snacking more often. Having a routine and finding meaningful hobbies/activities to engage in to minimize boredom is key to offset mindless snacking.

4. Try other coping techniques

You have probably recognized by now that while eating can be helpful in the moment, this feeling does not last. Not only does it not last, it is often followed by feelings of guilt, shame, and in some cases, physical unwellness. Meditation, diaphragmatic breathing, exercise, journaling and talking to someone are just a handful of coping strategies that are effective to manage stress and other emotions.

5. Exercise

Not only does exercise help to reduce boredom, it is also one of the most effective ways to manage stress, anxiety, and mood. One study also found that those who exercised regularly and still engaged in emotional eating made healthier food choices.

6. Only eat sitting down and undistracted

Making an effort to only eat when you are sitting and undistracted is one of the most effective ways to help offset emotional eating. Often when we engage in emotional eating we are standing while eating quickly and mindlessly, unaware of how much we are consuming. By sitting down (without a phone, tv., etc.) we can be more mindful of what we are consuming and better recognize why we are eating, what we are eating, and when to stop.

7. Keep a food diary

If emotional eating has become a regular occurrence, keeping a food diary can be beneficial to provide you with insight into what the triggers might be. Keep track of what you are eating, the time of day, location, and how you are feeling at the time. This will help you to better identify emotional eating, and narrow down whether it might be related to certain stressors, missing meals, a lack of certain nutrients, boredom, or something else.

8. Consume a healthy diet

There is no question that eating excess sugar and other unhealthy foods perpetuates cravings for unhealthy food. On the other hand, most unprocessed foods are high in a variety of nutrients and can help to curb cravings and binging tendencies. Aim to consume regular meals that contain whole, unprocessed foods (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds and beans/legumes) at least 80% of the time.

9. Don’t buy it!

This can be easier said than done, especially if you live with others, but if you do not keep certain foods in your house, you are much less likely to binge on them. This does not mean you cannot have these foods, but it is likely that you will learn to reserve them for special occasions as opposed to having them all the time.

10. Seek help

You do not need to do this alone! Sometimes knowing what to do isn’t the problem so much as taking action and following through. If you are looking for support, guidance, and accountability to develop healthy eating and lifestyle habits and stop the cycle of emotional eating, book a free consult with Christy De Jaegher at www.lifestylerefresh.ca to learn more.

Christy De Jaegher is a registered holistic nutritionist with a background in occupational therapy. She specializes in helping adults make evidence-based diet and lifestyle changes to improve their stress, anxiety, mood, energy, and overall mental health from the inside out. Services can be provided under either holistic nutrition or occupational therapy, both of which are often included in extended benefit plans. Appointments are available through Lifestyle Refresh Health and Wellness as well as Panorama Wellness Group.