Holiday hunger is characterized by the habit of using food as the only way to celebrate an event.
When something special happens in our lives and we feel the need to celebrate it, we may resort to overeating to show that we are happy, proud, celebrating or honoring something.
Social hunger is again defining food as something we share with others.
There are various studies that show that we tend to combine our social activities with food, but also that we consume more food when eating with others.
Factors that play a role in this include our tendency to imitate others, our less conscious use of food, or even our willingness to “break” the rules of moderation in order to enhance the pleasure that good food gives us. company.
The pressure to partake in large meals or follow food traditions often leads to overeating, not because we’re actually hungry, but to get into the festive mood or satisfy emotional needs.
Why do we do this?
That’s when emotional starvation happens we seek immediate emotional gratification through food.
When we are in a difficult psychological situation, we may eat food just to calm down or forget our anxiety, without actually being hungry.
Usually, this consumption includes unhealthy choices such as sweet or fatty foods that give us temporary pleasure but do not solve the emotional problem. This can lead to a vicious cycle of food addiction.
In fact, we temporarily calm our emotions, then feel guilty or disappointed from overindulging, and a sense of failure emerges.
How do holidays affect emotional hunger?
The holiday season is difficult for those experiencing emotional starvation. When the holidays are filled with social obligations, memories, or feelings of loneliness, food often becomes an outlet for stress or sadness.
Emotional hunger has nothing to do with the need for food, but with our need to deal with emotional problems such as stress, sadness or loneliness.
Instead of eating as a biological need, we turn to food to feel better, to escape from something negative we’re feeling at that moment.
What are the characteristics of emotional eaters?
- They try to get rid of stress: Eating becomes a way to get rid of negative emotions.
- Feeling guilty after eating: Often, they feel guilty for not eating because they are hungry.
- They prefer unhealthy foods: Sweet or fatty foods become the solution to feel better even for a while.
- Associating food with emotional satisfaction: They don’t eat just to be full because food gives them emotional comfort.
Tips for managing emotional hunger during the holiday season
Emotional hunger is directly related to overeating. When we feel the need to apply overeating or if we’re tempted by our emotional baggage, we need to enter into the thought process: “Will giving in to the binge episode help us with the real problem at hand or make us worse later?”
To fight overeating, you need to look at the eating process as a two-legged game. In the first part of the game, we want glucose regulation and stabilization, because the more glucose decreases and reactive hypoglycemia occurs because we leave large spaces with an empty stomach, the more intensely we seek sweet taste and succumb to temptation.
We need to eat small and frequent meals throughout the day to stabilize our glucose.
In the second stage of the game, we should focus on improving our mood by improving the production of serotonin, known as the “happy hormone”, by eating the right combination of foods every three to four hours.
The right combinations consist of doublets and triads that help produce serotonin, which is responsible for the feeling of euphoria. A 1993 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that volunteers with increased body fat had lower serotonin levels, which was associated with greater cravings for simple carbohydrates (sugar, cookies) and fatty foods. resulting in increased fat.
In order for the body to produce enough serotonin, we fortify our diet with foods rich in tryptophan and combine it with complex carbohydrates such as whole grains.
Ultimately, we choose Foods rich in vitamin C citrus fruits, B vitamins like meat, iron like liver, magnesium like leafy greens and chromium like Brazil nuts.
This process is not difficult, in fact it can be achieved quite easily, as long as there is organization and the golden rule of three is always followed. Based on this, the meal should consist of: 1) protein source, 2) starchy food, 3) fresh fruit or vegetable.
It should be remembered that the purpose of vacations is to prioritize rest, relaxation and, in general, self-care. Fighting emotional hunger is still not a fleeting effort, but a process that should become a lifestyle.
If the problem persists and we find it difficult to manage, we should consult a specialized nutritionist and psychologist.
Kleopatra Aresti is a clinical dietitian-nutritionist, department. PhD Harokopion University of Athens, Master in Sports Nutrition, Harokopion University, Master Practitioner in Eating Disorders and Obesity