Stress and Food
Sometimes when people feel empty inside,
they fill up on food to get rid of the empty feelings. In such cases, they eat sugar and starchy food when they are under stress. Do you find yourself turning to food instead
of turning to people? When do you think
someone would feel empty?
People eat for a lot of different
reasons. First of all, our body needs
food to survive. We need food for
nourishment and growth. Second, we use
food to celebrate. What would a birthday
part be like without food? Pretty
boring! Think about the way we celebrate
Thanksgiving or other holidays around the dinner table. Food is everywhere!
Third, we use food to occupy time. We gather together to watch a football game
and have finger foods right next to us.
We sit down to read a good book or watch a TV show and we have a plate
of cookies, bowl of chips and a drink. Fourth,
food is comforting. It reinforces habits
and traditions. It makes us feel good. We like to have certain foods at certain
times of the year. Can you think of a
favorite time of the year that you associate with food?
Lastly, food can be used to help us
feel good and get rid of uncomfortable feelings. Instead of thinking about something painful,
we can turn to food. In a sense, it can numb
our feelings.
So how is food related to stress? Eating affects our brain chemistry. Being on a diet or under stress can cause a
reaction in some brain chemicals. Later we are going to learn about five different chemicals in our brain and what they do! Stay tuned!
