Comfort eating will only pile on the recession pounds
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Wednesday Jun 24 2009
Piling on recession pounds isn't just about not having the cash to eat good food. Soaring unemployment has left many people feeling anxious and reaching for comfort food as a way to face it.
"If people are stressed, they often don't think about what they eat," explains Karen Belshaw psychologist and stress manager at VHI Healthcare.
"They'll skip breakfast, not have time for lunch and then suddenly hit five o'clock and be starving. That's when they grab the first thing to hand or be too tired to cook and just reach for the takeaway menu."
She adds: "Often we also look to food as a way of coping with stress. If we're anxious or worried we tend to eat more and go for foods with a big sugar kick, all of which could lead to putting on weight."
Here are some tips to dodge comfort eating pounds.
- Eat breakfast and eat regularly throughout the day. That will keep blood sugar levels stable and stave off moodswings.
- Make time to eat without distractions and enjoy food and plan meals. Don't treat it as a re-fuelling exercise as you're driving home -- you're less likely to realise when you're full or what you're eating.
- Sugary snacks only give a temporary high and the crash afterwards will often leave you feeling worse than before. Swap chocolate for an apple or handful of nuts to give a slower sugar release.
- Make time for exercise, it releases the same happy hormones as a bar of chocolate.
- Don't use food as an emotional crutch. Address what it is you're worried about -- there's no point worrying about things you can't control.
