Comfort Foods: What are they and why do we crave them?

Comfort Foods

What are they, and why do we crave them?

It can be really hard not to reach toward unhealthy foods when in a really high stress situation. When we are stressed out, we tend to want to reach for those comfort foods that we think make ourselves feel better. Comfort foods are typically those that are high in fats, sugars, and are dense in energy, like french-fries, pizza, ice cream, and chocolate for example. It's really anything that we crave in order to cope with whatever we are going through.

So why do we crave them?

The term "comfort food" has been around as early as 1966, when it was originally written by the Palm Beach Post to describe the effects of obesity. It was later added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 1977. 

According to Shahram Heshmat, an associate professor at the University of Illinois at Springfield, with a Ph.D. in Managerial Health Economics, there are five factors that contribute to comfort eating: it makes us feel good, it's self-medication, it makes us feel like we belong, it's nostalgic, and we need it for special occasions. Now, of course, these aren't the only reasons we reach toward them, but these are just to name a few. 

One of the biggest reasons behind why we reach toward comfort foods is because it makes us feel better, and increases pleasant feelings which tend to boost our mood. It is often known as the "Serotonin Theory." According to Sarah Marie in the Dartmouth Undergraduate Journal of Science, serotonin is a neurotransmitter that the brain produces and is also known as a mood balancer. The theory states that a diet rich in serotonin can help relieve depression and other disorders such as "carbohydrate craving obesity, pre-menstrual syndrome, and season affective disorder (SAD)." According to Medical News Today, serotonin can act as an antidepressant in the body work. 

Take chocolate for example. For some people when they eat chocolate, they feel better. Chocolate has neurotransmitters such as serotonin and phenylethlyamine, which can cause excitement. 

Phenylethlyamine is oftentimes called the "love drug" as it evokes the feelings one experiences when one is in love. Chocolate also releases endorphins into the brain which are known to decrease levels of both stress and pain, one of the reasons why chocolate is considered a comfort food. When we are emotional, we tend to reach towards food for self medication. This is also known as emotional eating. We use unhealthy foods as a coping mechanism. Just the general assignment of the word "comfort" automatically makes us believe there's a relationship between the two. We believe in this fundamental need of comfort food when we are feeling sad, so when this need is not fulfilled, we are psychologically driven into wanting to find a way to fill it.

Along with the longing to fill an emotional void within ourselves, we use comfort foods as a sense to belong. We tend to associate foods with our friends, family, and people close to us. That's why during the holidays we tend to crave certain foods, because food's "power" thrives through association of memories and attachment. It's known as "social eating." Heshmat wrote of a great example about college students... College students are away from home the longest for, most likely, the first time in their lives. He wrote how comfort foods act as a reminder of their families during lonely and stressful periods. They reach toward comfort foods in order to feel better about being so far from home.

This brings the next point of nostalgia. Heshmat explained that "there is a strong link between scents and emotional memory." The simple smell of certain foods can stimulate emotional memory responses causing us to crave that moment. Whether it be a small or big memory, this can oftentimes lead us to memories of special occasion. Special occasions can be both positive or negative that can lead to the desire for comfort foods. For example, a first date, a last meal, a wedding, Valentine's Day, etc. The memory of any special occasion can revive any repressed feelings one may have had which can cause emotional eating. We don't need it... comfort foods are only there to comfort us. Stress causes us to crave sugar, therefore we eat and crave comfort foods only because we think we need them.

So if you're one of those people who reach toward comfort foods in any of these types of situations (or any situation in general), here are some tips that you can follow to keep from overindulging in these bad health behaviors:

1. Understand the why.

With whatever it is that you are going through, please check in on yourself and understand why you are feeling the way you are feeling. Try to pinpoint the reasons behind your emotions and focus on what you can do to make it better without reaching toward unhealthy foods. It's OK to feel sad and upset about things. You are human and it's perfectly alright to have feelings. Be kind to yourself and listen to what it is you truly want. 

Practice good calming techniques, find a quiet space and try to even meditate. When you listen to your emotions and are calm and can think more clearly you can allow yourself to find an inner peace. 

2. Eat when you're actually hungry.

When you're dealing with emotions, sometimes we are so used to reaching toward foods that we tend to think that we are always hungry when we're sad, mad, etc. While food can offer a short-time relief, it will also offer a long-time problem. Binge-eating and emotional eating can lead to health issues such as diabetes, obesity, and even more stress. Over eating can also cause mood changes as well. The more we indulge in unhealthy foods, the worse we can actually feel. As claimed by Women's Health, an online publication for women's health, food like nuts, kale, and carrots are all great foods when battling stress. They are low in fat, and the monounsaturated fat also helps keep the receptors in the brain sensitive to serotonin.

3. Prepare for the future.

Things happen. And it's important to note that not every day will be perfect. Prepare for the future so that if you were to experience these bad feelings again, you will be less inclined to reach toward comfort foods and better understand your body. 

Stock your fridge and pantry with yummy, healthier foods such as leafy greens like spinach, or nuts, seeds and whole grains. These foods are rich in magnesium which helps your body become less stressed!!