Mind Your Food

    • Tashneem Ali Chaudhury - TNN
    • Publish Date: Jun 14 2017 12:38PM
    • |
    • Updated Date: Jun 14 2017 12:40PM
Mind Your Food

It starts with a cup of ice cream, goes onto a tub and finally, as we wallow in our feelings of self-pity and unhappiness, the meal ends with huge portions of dessert and coffee. Food and emotions have always had a thing going. We eat more and mostly wrong when we are low, while happiness makes us choose wisely and eat with control. But there has to be a way to check the bad patches, right? Rationalising and planning good food choices when low? Yes.

Good, bad and ugly...
When you feel low, it results in a certain kind of numbness and reaching for the jar of mayo or packets of chips in a trance like state. "Under stress or excitement, there are certain neurochemical changes in the brain that can alter the eating habits: one may lose appetite or develop carb cravings/binge eating patterns," says Dr Sameer Malhotra, psychotherapist and de-addiction specialist. On the other hand, good feelings make you alert and focused. The trick here is to accept the feelings... without indulging them.

Get a grip
According to a latest research published in the journal Child Development, emotional eating has its roots in childhood. It says that when parents soothe their toddlers with food, their children end up engaging more in emotional eating later in life. While reaching for that occasional comfort food is not really a bad idea to help us get a grip on our emotions, too much dependence on food to soothe is a bad idea.

Choose healthy
It is just not the food but also the kind of food that's a problem. As nutritionist Nivedita Singh says, "Emotional eating responds to stress so a person tends to eat high carbohydrates, high calorie food with very low nutritive value and thus all this leads to obesity, diabetes, heart and cholesterol problems." Most emotionally satisfying foods contain opiodes that delude us into feeling satiated and happy. They get us hooked to them. So choose wisely. If you really want to eat something sweet, choose an apple or dates over a dessert and if you must have ice cream, just have a scoop. Avoid whites for sure!

Love Yourself
Be it anger, sadness, jealousy or disappointment; it is better to practice tolerating difficult feelings than by blunting them with food. Other ways to feel good could be getting fitter, joining a zumba dance class or playing a physically demanding sport. Nothing works? Start a house improvement project! Love yourself and your surroundings.

Are you an emotional eater?
- You eat when you are not hungry.
- You see other people eating and you always want to join in.
- You feel guilty about what you eat so you like to hide it.
- You find it easier to reach for that chocolate than make the effort to call a friend to talk about what has got you down.
(If you replied in the affirmative to three of these, you are an EE).
 

More From LIFESTYLE...

Comments

Himanshi Dhawan Saffron Public School

Well, I am not an emotional eater or EE. But when I am under stress or excitement, I do develop different eating habits.

Hemalatha.G Sethu Bhaskara Matriculation Higher Secondary Scho

At times I eat to pass the time. And many times I eat just to taste my new recipes.

POST YOUR OWN ARTICLE, PHOTO & VIDEO

SIMPLY FILL DETAILS & POST


 
SIGN UP & EXPLORE MORE...
*


*
* *
* *
img
REGISTRATION SUCCESSFUL...
THANK YOU FOR REGISTERING
  • About Us

Times Newspaper in Education (Times NIE) is a novel program that helps students ‘Stay Ahead’ and aims at making ‘Learning Fun’. It introduces concepts that help individual growth and development beyond school curriculum.

A brainchild of The Times of India, the world’s leading English newspapers, Times NIE nurtures progress and innovation. Adapted from the international concept, Times Newspaper in Education program (Times NIE) was initiated in India in 1985.

Today we have over 3000 schools and over 9 lac students subscribing to the programme, spanning 16 cities viz. Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Kochi, Lucknow, Coimbatore, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, and Jaipur.

The Times of India Student edition, a customized student newspaper exclusively for the students, packs a powerful punch in terms of content that leads to a smarter and superior learning experience. The information is crafted such that it finds use in classroom discussions, thus making it relevant and current. It truly gives education a new dimension by fostering the simple habit of reading which in turn paves the way for a confident, informed and aware individual. A newspaper that inspires young minds and equips them to face challenges of today’s world, making way for global citizens.

Empowering students with new cutting-edge knowledge through various educative and informative activities is a commitment and tradition of Times NIE. The programme serves as a catalyst of education and interaction, as well as a window into the minds of the quintessential Indian youth. On a significant scale Times NIE comprises diverse interesting activities and events that boost the child’s passion for learning, while revealing hidden talent.

While you are aware that The Times of India is among the leading English Newspapers across the world, it has consummated its position as an everlasting winner. With several international awards and recognitions to its credit, The Times of India and Times NIE have validated an enduring tradition of setting the highest benchmarks in every respect. We have been awarded with the two most prestigious awards, Times NIE - World’s No.1 NIE program and The Times of India, Student Edition - World’s No.1 Newspaper for the youth in 2006 by the celebrated World Association of Newspapers (WAN). In 2008 we were honoured by the International Newspaper Marketing Association (INMA), yet another international recognition for ‘Youth Audience Development’. In 2013 we were again honoured by the celebrated World Association of Newspapers (WAN) as the ‘Times NIE - World’s Best Youth Engagement Program’.

Times NIE has grown remarkably over the last three and a half decades, touching millions of children across more than 16 Indian cities. Our absolute commitment towards the fledgling generation remains undiluted and our greatest strength lies in the school partnership and commitment.

  • Times NIE World Awards
EDIT STUDENT PROFILE...



img

JOIN NOW !!!

Create or join groups, share your views, ideas through posts (Text, Pictures & Videos)

GOT A QUERY?

FEEL FREE TO ASK HERE. GET IT ANSWERED BY EXPERTS

CLICK HERE TO SEE YOUR PREVIOUS QUERIES

win

Why You Think India Is Great....