Anxiety may cause us to lose control of our hunger, which is tough to do, but we have some recommendations that can help!
Anxiety And Food: What Is The Relationship?
Food is not only a source of energy for the body, but it is also a source of pleasure. Isn’t it true that everyone enjoys eating sweets or their favorite foods? And therein lays the issue with anxiety-related eating.
I’m not sure if you’ve considered it, but it’s very hard to eat a salad or yoghurt with granola while you’re experiencing severe anxiety: it’ll always be something high in calories, such as snacks or sweets. And there’s a good reason for it.
Deregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (which is, in brief, the set of interactions between these glands that are so crucial in our body) may lead to appetite maladjustment, and anxiety has a direct association with eating behavior. Anxiety sensations may increase your hunger while also encouraging you to consume meals heavy in fat, salt, and refined sugars.
So, when we turn to eat to relieve the tension and strains of daily life, we opt for meals that will provide immediate pleasure and reward, acting as an emotional outlet for our feelings. This may lead to physiological concerns such as obesity or diabetes, as well as difficulties with your mental health if your anxiety worsens.
It becomes simpler to cope with our concerns via healthy habits and minor tactics to deceive the brain once we know that the issue is not in the food itself, but in the way we deal with the stress.
Possible Reasons For Eating Out Of Anxiety
In addition to regulating your connection with food, you must also address the emotional aspect of your anxiety, which must be addressed by being connected to your feelings. Take a time for introspection, whether it’s via meditation or a soothing bath: these and other habits, such as maintaining a diary or starting an exercise program, may help you divert your attention away from your worry.
We’ve distinguished a few probable reasons of anxiety. But, since everyone is different, remember to take a minute to think about what’s making you feel this way, and if you need it, get professional treatment, okay?
Difficulty Managing Emotions
Unfortunately, we were taught that there are good and unpleasant feelings, and that the latter should be avoided. And this is a problem because we are not fixing issues by silencing some of our emotions and pushing them to the back of our minds; rather, we are avoiding dealing with the situation, which snowballs over time.
As a result, many individuals do not know how to control or cope with their emotions, and the tension that this causes is reflected in their eating habits.
Food As The Only Source Of Pleasure
It may seem unusual or difficult to believe at first, but we frequently lose sight of pleasure in things other than eating, and this may be linked to symptoms other than anxiety. Food, in this case, becomes not just a release valve for tension and anxiety, but also the individual’s sole source of happiness and well-being.
Excessive Self-Control
Excess self-control is an example of how not understanding how to handle emotions can become a major roadblock in our life. You’re aware of your anxiety and eating issues, but instead of attempting to understand how the two are related and how they should be addressed, you try to resist the temptation to eat. This may have a rebound effect, as you will eventually be unable to restrain yourself and will begin consuming excessive quantities of food in a short period of time, further harming your health.
Also see: 5 Important Childhood Vitamins For Healthy Development
