Mood Foods

		Eating is often connected to our emotions. Sometimes the strongest longings for food may happen when you are at a weak emotional point. Many of us turn to food for comfort (consciously or unconsciously) when we’re stressed or looking to keep our minds occupied. Unfortunately, emotional eating as a way to suppress negative feelings…many of which we face here on campus (stress, loneliness, anger, etc.)…can sabotage our weight and healthy lifestyle goals. Often this “comfort eating” leads to eating too much food…especially high-calorie, sweet, salty, and fatty foods.
		Major life events (such as an exam, relationship problems, or health issues) and daily life hassles (such as bad weather, road construction, or simply detouring from your daily routine) can trigger emotions that can lead to overeating or simply eating when you are not truly hungry.
		Why do “moods” lead to us eating more “foods”? Well, some foods have a somewhat addictive quality. Like when you eat chocolate, your body releases slight amounts of “mood” and “satisfaction” elevating opiates. That simple natural perk may reinforce your body’s desire for similar foods that are most related to certain feelings of happiness or less stress. So, basically the pleasure of eating these “mood foods” offsets negative emotions.
		Although specific emotions can trigger cravings for food, you can take various steps to control these cravings. To help stop the mood-food connection, try these suggestions:
		•	Learn to recognize true hunger. Is this craving physical or emotional? If you ate just a couple of hours ago, and your stomach isn’t rumbling, you may not really be hungry. Wait a few minutes and see if the craving passes.
		•	Know your triggers. For the next couple of days, keep a journal. Write down what you eat, how much you eat, when you eat, and how you’re feeling at that time. Are you stressed, rushed, or simply starving? Over a couple of days you may notice a pattern of eating more before exams, dates, or meetings. This will help you steer away from these patterns, and realize which triggers to avoid.
		•	Look elsewhere for comfort. Rather than unwrapping that candy bar, try taking a walk, watching a movie, listening to music, or calling a friend. If you think stress from a certain activity is nudging you towards that unneeded snack, try finding an alternate activity to take your mind off of it.
		•	Exercise regularly and get enough rest. Your mood is more manageable, and your body can better fight stress when it is fit and well rested.
		If you give into emotional eating, forgive yourself and start fresh the next day. Remember life is about learning, and health is about positive changes that better our mind, body, and soul.