Whether it's potato salad, macaroni and cheese, ice cream, pizza, or chicken pot pie, comfort food seems to always be around, no matter the season or the occasion — you name it, you'll find one of them showing up just when you "need" it most.
Where Does Your Comfort Food Come From?
Most people gravitate toward comfort food during stressful times. The foods each person chooses as his or her "comfort food" might be different, yet they generally have the same function: to soothe a person during a stressful, sad or difficult time. In general, these foods are high in fat and/or carbohydrates and also savory and/or sweet enough to provide a temporary lift in spirits. Unfortunately, they do not solve the underlying issues and generally end up making you feel worse in the end.
In general, a person's chosen comfort food is something they remember eating when they were children. Most likely, it is a food that made them happy. For example, did your mom ever take you for an ice cream cone after a bad day in school to cheer you up? Or did your parents drive you to the donut shop after you lost a sports game to put a smile on your face? If so, those yummy delights might be exactly what you crave when you are feeling low as an adult.
How to Replace Comfort Food
The best thing you can do if you are someone who depends on comfort food to lift your spirits is to swap this bad habit with a good one. I tell my weight loss clients to replace comfort food consumption with a "comfort workout!" Sound a little crazy? It's not, and I promise you it works.
How to figure out what your "comfort workout" is? First, think about the type of workout you love most. It might be running, lifting weights, hot yoga (so you can sweat away your stress) or perhaps a casual walk in nature. Whatever type of workout brings you the most joy is the one you should aim to do when you are feeling stressed. Not only will this active behavior benefit your mental and physical state, it will also take the place of the high-fat and high-carb treats you previously consumed to try make yourself feel better. This will leave you feeling more refreshed and clear-minded so you can truly deal with the issue(s) that were causing you emotional turmoil.
If you don't have time to do a workout, and you need immediate soothing, you could try a "comfort meditation." Taking five minutes to breathe mindfully in a meditation will benefit your body far more than spending five minutes eating sweets.
Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/blog/ditch-comfort-food#ixzz2hFiRO35r
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